Mr Monk Buys A Watch
by After The End - KK-MNJ Collab
Summary: All Monk wanted to do was pick up a watch; but soon, he and Julie Teeger found themselves in a fight for their lives, and it was unclear whether either of them would survive. MONK/NATALIE PAIRING. A collaborative effort from KittyKat06 & MonkNotJunk.
1. Introduction

_Author's Note: This is the first installment of a new series of stories written by KittyKat06 and MonkNotJunk. It picks up shortly after the series ends and is not to be confused with any other series/stories that the two authors have written or will write. We hope you enjoy and look forward to reading your reviews. KK & MNJ._

* * *

After twelve years of a singular focus on solving the murder of his beloved wife Trudy, Adrian Monk should have expected that his life was going to change once that burden was lifted. There was no way that he could know, however, how much the accomplishment would change him personally. He had lived for over a decade underneath a dark cloud, devoid of hope, missing the love that he had lost, believing that he would never experience it again. But now, on the one year anniversary of Ethan Rickover's death, he noted a change. He had begun to feel alive again, to truly enjoy life; and yes, even to dare to hope that he might have love again.

When last he saw Trudy, she told him that it was time to say goodbye. She also told him that it wouldn't be long. He never knew exactly what that meant; because, just solving her murder, while necessary for him to move forward, was not enough to bring him happiness. It brought closure, and, unexpectedly, it brought him friendship in the form of Trudy's daughter Molly, but, after a few months, Monk and Molly saw each other less frequently as he realized she had a life outside of his and it wasn't fair, or healthy, for him to try to reconnect with Trudy by living vicariously through the daughter she never knew. And so, when Molly took a job as a movie reviewer in Toronto, Canada, he had to say goodbye. They would still communicate, but it was time for him to really examine himself with nothing to cloud his mind, and to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

* * *

Over the past year, his life wasn't the only life that had changed. His best friend of thirty years, Leland Stottlemeyer, had gotten promoted from Captain to Commander of the entire North East division of the SFPD, spanning from South Park to the Marina District. His office stayed within the same building, but now his responsibilities were greater as he was leading an entire fleet of police from several precincts in fighting some of the worst crime San Francisco had ever seen.

His promotion left a vacancy in his own department, and when asked for a name to succeed him, he could think of no one more fitting to step in his place than his long-time protégé, Randy Disher – who was now Chief of Police at a station in Summit, New Jersey. Randy had moved to New Jersey to be close to his now wife, Sharona Disher; but both he and Sharona still had connections and relatives on the West Coast, and when the offer came through for Leland's old job, complete with its increased sphere of influence and additional salary, the couple left New Jersey behind and moved back to the town where they first met.

Another life that went through its ups and downs during the past year was that of Monk's faithful assistant, Natalie, who was also at a stage where she was adjusting to and taking stock of her life, now that her daughter Julie had graduated high school and was preparing to begin her studies at Berkeley. For a short while, she thought that she wouldn't have to be alone when Julie left as it seemed that a romance with her late husband Mitch's good friend, Steven Albright, was sure to bring her the happiness that her heart wanted. But, after a few months, she realized that the relationship with Steven had every element that she ever wanted except for the one element she needed most of all - love. And so, she broke up with him, giving him an excuse that she couldn't live with the long-distance relationship that being involved with a Navy officer entailed and felt that it was best that they part ways. Steven was not happy with the breakup, but had not gotten to the point where he could say he was ready to trade his career for Natalie either, and so he went back out to sea, and Natalie continued her life as Adrian Monk's assistant, pouring herself into the work so that she didn't have to think about the loneliness, and growing increasingly close to the man.

* * *

From the moment they met, Adrian Monk and Natalie Teeger's relationship always held with it an unusual sort of tension. That should have been expected since he first met her while investigating a case in which she had been forced to kill a home intruder that was attacking her in her living room. To her, he seemed an odd sort of man, with an indescribable genius, and yet, he also had a side to him that was like a naïve child, such as when he announced in front of her pre-teen daughter that he knew that Natalie had started dating again due to the presence of birth control pills in her purse - which, upon seeing Natalie's mortified expression, he explained to Julie, were actually 'adult Tic-Tacs' that she should stay away from. Later, on the same case, she saw the man's heart when he was faced with the decision to apprehend the perpetrator of the crime at Natalie's house, or to save Julie's pet fish Mr. Henry, who was a remaining connection between Julie and her late father Mitch, who had been killed in Kosovo. He saved the fish, and, in so doing, won Natalie's heart. From that day forward, she became his assistant, constant companion, and one of two people he considered to be his most trusted friends.

It took some time for her to realize that she had feelings for Monk, whom she almost never called by his first name; but, by then she was so familiar with his ways that she ultimately had to write-off thoughts of a romantic relationship with him since she knew that he was the ultimate emotionally-unavailable man, and that his heart would only always belong to Trudy. Therefore, she had to somehow find satisfaction while staying in the friend zone, and while they were close enough that many times people assumed they were a couple, something they both always disavowed, she found her fulfillment in just being near him, helping him find his way, and hoping that one day he would be happy. Truth be told, she never allowed the flame she carried for him to be extinguished, but she contented herself with the belief that not all true love had to end up being romantic, and that she and Adrian shared a depth of love and comradery that few married couples would ever experience.

* * *

It would be an understatement to say that Adrian Monk's mind worked differently. To meet him would be to immediately recognize the genius in him; but, what few people recognized was that his amazing capacity to organize and interpret details in a flash, as they related to his external world, also translated to an innate ability to do the same with his internal thoughts.

Adrian Monk was not a man who had ever been comfortable with change. A man-child in many ways, he had spent his life having to grapple with a lot of change - from the abandonment of his father and his subsequent role as his family's caretaker at the young age of eight, to falling in love with and ultimately marrying the love of his life, only to lose her in a senseless and brutal murder seven years later - he had faced a lot of change in his life and had survived it.

Of course, these were the big things. For smaller things, the kind of things that were mere annoyances, or things for which he could devise some more comfortable alternative reality, Monk had developed the knack of pushing to the side and compartmentalizing his thoughts – some to be dealt with at a later date, and some of which he might never deal with at all. Up to this point in time, such were his feelings concerning Natalie. From the very beginning, he knew she was different. Vibrant, demonstrative, and strong - she intrigued him, but, it was her protective and nurturing side that were both a constant source of comfort for him as well as a key to a heart which he steadfastly would not allow to be opened. She became his friend, a friend he trusted more than anyone, except perhaps Stottlemeyer who had seen him through all of his ups and downs. And yet, lurking below the surface, he knew down deep that she had become more than a friend - and this thought was truly something that scared him to death. To guard against this, he had unknowingly erected a wall of defense around his heart and mind, lying to himself, and to her, about how he truly felt. It would take an extraordinary event to begin bringing that wall down.


	2. The Idea

It had all started out as a normal day between Adrian Monk and his assistant Natalie. She arrived at his apartment around 9:00 AM, as was customary, and they shared a light breakfast together and then read the newspaper. But this morning was a bit different. The day before, in a rare moment of uncertainty, Monk had a mental block concerning elements of a case they were working on - knowing that the solution was right at his fingertips, but unable to grasp what it was.

It was Natalie that solved the crime. Utilizing the skills that she had seen Monk use in all their years together, she determined that the victim was poisoned through the use of a time-released capsule, slipped into the flesh of a raw oyster. Since one would not normally chew a raw oyster extensively, it was the perfect vehicle in which to place the poison, and the capsule would allow for time and distance between the death of the victim and the last time that he had seen his murderer.

The slip-up was found on a credit card receipt. Natalie recognized the brand of capsule and its use, and was able to tie the criminal to the scene of the crime. She stood by, uncharacteristically bashful at the accolades thrown her way by Commander Stottlemeyer, Captain Disher and the Mayor. But it was Mr. Monk's compliments that meant the most. He wasn't often complimentary, but she had impressed him by stepping up and stepping in where his normally iron clad mind was failing him. She had saved the case, and saved the day, and he felt it very appropriate to give honor where honor was due.

With that as the backdrop, Monk found himself unusually interested in Natalie the next morning, recognizing that in that single instance something had changed. She was no longer the employee that he had hired to carry his wipes and run his errands. She wasn't merely his trusted friend. No. She had become his partner and his colleague, someone with whom he could share his life's work, who would understand both the elements of the case and understand him.

Leland Stottlemeyer had filled that role for a long time to the extent that he could, but Natalie was different. Whereas Leland knew how to get to him when he needed a lecture or a swift kick in the rear, Natalie was able to get to him in other ways: encouragement, a smile, a hug. Leland was the voice of reason that could reach his mind. Natalie was the voice that inevitably could reach his heart and gave him a will to want more.

It was amazing what that woman had been able to get him to do. In her unassuming way, she had caused him to confront many of his fears. Whether it was dragging him up to the loftiest height of a building's rooftop or taking him down to the depths of the sea, Natalie Teeger had a way of moving Adrian in a way that no other human being alive was able to do. And, while he complained, he secretly enjoyed his adventures with her. He knew that if it was up to him, he would stay locked up 'safe' in his apartment and never venture out. By having Natalie in his life, he was forced to move, to explore, to live.

* * *

He was reflecting on this when she entered his home on a cool morning in late May.

"Good Morning, Mr. Monk!" she said, as she let herself in like she always did and walked towards the back of the apartment.

Mr. Monk was exactly where she had expected him to be, exactly where he had always been for several years, standing in the kitchen making a pot of coffee and pulling out the items that would be necessary to make breakfast.

"Good morning, Detective Teeger," he joked.

"Ha! I didn't do anything. You would have eventually gotten it," she assured him, walking in with the newspaper and laying it on the counter.

"But I didn't have it, not this time. You were the one who solved the case, and for that, madam, I tip my hat to you." He smiled.

"Don't get too complimentary, Mr. Monk. I won't know how to deal with it," she said.

He stiffened. "I can be complimentary."

She looked at him through raised eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. You're just full of compliments. How about this one. '_I'm just not used to being around attractive women_…followed by, _oh, Natalie…you're not a girl, you're Natalie, Natalieeee, you're Nat_.'" Adrian winced. "Or, how what you told Leland when Sharona came back into town, '_Natalie's been acting like Mary, Queen of Scots. She wants more money. I mean, she won't lay down in the dirt when I ask her_.'"

Adrian rolled his shoulders. "He told you that?! He wasn't supposed to tell."

"Oh, Leland and I have shared a lot of notes about you through the years," she told him.

"About?" he asked, nervously.

"About how difficult you can be. About how you can be a drama queen…" she said.

He looked offended and sad. "I'm not a drama queen."

Natalie smiled. "And about how neither one of us would trade our experience with you for the world."

Now, it was Adrian's time to become bashful. He looked down and grinned and neither of them said a word for a moment. Finally, he spoke.

"Well. I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"For what?" she asked.

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel unappreciated. I'm sure I have. But, I don't mean it, and well…I wouldn't trade my experience with you for the world either." He replied, looking her straight in the eyes.

She got that familiar grin that she would get when something had touched her in a certain way, the one that wrinkled up her nose, and he knew he was immediately forgiven. But then, as he continued to look at her, she did something unusual. She blushed.

Unsure of how to interpret that, Adrian was relieved when she quickly changed the subject by telling him that she had brought in the newspaper and had heard that there was supposed to be an update in it on a case that they had worked on a month or two back. She flipped through the newspaper and handed him the relevant section as she checked out the Lifestyle section of the San Francisco Chronicle, looking for anything of interest in the local social scene. As he read the case update, he looked over and saw that she was beginning to cry.

He was immediately concerned and held out his hand for the paper but even after reading every page and article more than once he couldn't determine what had upset her. Finally he set the paper down. "What in the paper upset you? Are you okay?"

Natalie held out her hand for the paper back and reluctantly he gave it to her, but under the condition that she wouldn't read anything else that made her cry. "Yes. I…I'm sorry. I'm fine. I was just reading about this couple. They had been married for sixty years, and he gave her this gift, this really special gift, just to show his love for her."

He didn't understand. "And the fact that he gave her a gift made you cry? Why would you cry over that?"

"I don't know. I guess maybe it's because I always wanted that special sort of relationship where the guy would do something like that for me. Mitch had a romantic side to him, but when we first met he was dead broke, and then he was deployed a great deal of the time - my gift was just having him home, for me and for Julie. And then, Steven, well…I don't know. He would give gifts, but they didn't mean so much coming from him because my heart just wasn't in it and I knew his heart wasn't in it either, the gift-giving part. Do you know what I mean?"

Adrian was too busy watching her talk to understand what it was she was saying, so he just nodded his head yes, and they continued their business. Sometimes that was the safest way with her, to just say yes.

* * *

After eating breakfast, Adrian asked Natalie what time it was since he knew that Stottlemeyer wanted to meet them at 10:30 AM in his office. Looking down at her watch, she sighed, then walked into the other room to look at a clock.

"It's five 'til ten," she reported. "We'd better be going."

Adrian looked at her. "Is there something wrong with your watch?" he asked.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Oh. This old thing? I think it's on its last legs. I need to go get another battery for it to see if I can get it to work again, but it hasn't kept good time in years."

"You need a new watch," he replied, matter-of-factly, as if it was the simplest and most obvious solution.

"Julie also needs to go to college, Mr. Monk. I don't need a new watch that badly that I need to be spending my money on things like that," she replied. "It's hard enough to afford tuition for her as is."

Adrian made a mental note. "_Must get Natalie a watch_."

* * *

At the station house, Leland Stottlemeyer was standing ready to give a debriefing on the next steps in yesterday's big case when Monk and Natalie walked in. He had been a little concerned that all of the attention yesterday would have brought out a little insecurity in Monk since he was so used to being seen for the brilliant detective he was. But, he was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by his friend's demeanor. Instead of insecure, he seemed pleased. Instead of jealous, he seemed proud. And instead of walking center stage to take any amount of credit in solving the mystery, he deferred wholly and completely to Natalie, even publicly commenting on how impressed he was by her detective skills. It was a change to be sure, and one that piqued Stottlemeyer's interest. True, a lot had changed in Monk since solving Trudy's murder. He was generally a happier person overall, his phobias and quirks more under control. But this was different. Something had changed between Natalie and Monk, and its effect on Monk was very becoming. Within the caverns of his mind, Leland Stottlemeyer had to wonder: was Monk finally beginning to wake up and see that the person, the treasure, standing beside him all these years was in fact a woman and a beautiful one at that?

There would be no time to ponder this development, at least not on that day, for immediately after the briefing Stottlemeyer got word of another body that had been found in the Mission District and the team's presence had been requested. He rode to the site along with Randy, as Natalie and Monk followed close behind. When they arrived they each took their normal positions - with Leland and Randy taking the initial run at things, seeing that they were officially city officers, and Monk beside them.

The Commissioner stopped by and was following the team around, observing what they were doing.

The case was that of a jumper. Bonita Davis, white female professional, early thirties, she was a book publisher that had recently gotten engaged. They examined the body prior to the coroner taking it away and then went up to the woman's apartment. Randy noted that there were no signs of forced entry and that by the typed suicide note, it was apparent that the woman had grown despondent and took her own life; however, Monk noticed an anomaly as he perused the apartment. Looking around, he nodded at Leland but then continued looking for evidence at the scene. He moved to the victim's desk and thumbed through a stack of folders that she had sitting on her desk. Then, he got that knowing grin. Looking up, he made his announcement. "She didn't jump. She was murdered."

"I was figuring you were going to say that," Leland replied. "What do you see?"

Monk opened his mouth to speak but then inexplicably stopped and backed up, smiling and motioning for Natalie to come forward. "How about let's have Detective Teeger give us our answer?"

The Commissioner was confused and looked at Leland who became a little uncomfortable. He watched as Natalie suddenly became angry with Monk and admonished him for daring to mock her in front of people they worked with. "How dare you - mock me?"

"No, Natalie," he spoke softly, looking also at Leland out of the corner of his eye. Leland and Randy needed to know this, too, how good she was. "No, I'd never do that. I'm acknowledging your skills. Take your time and focus. What do you see that would perhaps indicate that things are not as they appear to be?"

She looked at him nervously. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Very. Just look around. If you need a hint, I will help you, but I think you'll spot it before my help is needed."

Slowly, she walked around the apartment and then stopped to look in the very area he had been focusing on when she saw his tell-tale smirk appear. She walked over to the note and then got a quizzical look on her face. She looked up at him and he smiled and then watched her as she moved further around the room, looking in every corner and crevice for the answer to the riddle. She returned and looked Monk directly in the eyes.

"You got it?" he asked.

She smiled. "I…I think so - it's the note, isn't it?"

"What about the note?" Mr. Monk asked.

"It was written using a typewriter. The old-fashioned kind," she told him.

He smiled. "Very good, Detective Teeger. What else do you notice about the note?" he asked.

She walked back over to the note and examined it closely. "Is it the letter D?" she asked, looking up at Mr. Monk.

"It is." the famous detective said, taking over the explanation from there.

"Here's what happened." Mr. Monk started his summation and Natalie was happy to step into the background and listen, amazed that she had again gotten to be an actual part of solving a case that her boss was working on, all in front of the Commissioner.

"Bonita Davis did not jump to her death. She was tossed off the balcony. The so-called suicide note was written on an old electric typewriter. I would guess perhaps an IBM Selectric with a Prestige typeball. I'm sure that a search of Ms. Davis's apartment will show that she owned no such item, especially since her laptop computer is plugged in right over there and hooked up to a printer. In addition to this, the typeface shows a unique characteristic in the fact that the letter 'D' has a thick diagonal gash in it."

"So, find that typewriter, and we've found our killer." Leland was already searching for Randy to start the process of finding one typewriter in a city that no doubt held many.

"You don't need to search, Commander," Monk told him. "We already know who owned the typewriter."

Leland and Randy looked up. "We do?" Leland asked.

"Yes. Ms. Davis told us herself. It's in her files," Monk replied, handing a specific folder to Leland. "Devin Kegley. Looks like he submitted a manuscript to her about a month and a half ago. Ms. Davis made a copy of his submission and put a note on it for further review." Monk continued.

Leland looked inside the folder. In her handwriting was written the words _'May contain evidence of criminality. Need to verify.'_

"Note, the scratch through the letter D." Monk stated.

Leland smirked and nodded his head towards the duo. "Randy. Go and see if we can find a Devin Kegley and bring him in for questioning. Taylor, please seal off this scene and don't allow anyone else inside until we have had a chance to collect all evidence. This apartment is now considered the primary site of a likely homicide. Thank you for your assistance, Monk. Natalie." The Commander moved away from the group to go talk to the Commissioner who had some compliments concerning their efforts as well as some choice words.

Monk, of course, was right, and Devin Kegley was subsequently arrested for the murder of Bonita Davis. Kegley had written a manuscript whereupon he had admitted to the commission of several crimes and attempted to pass the manuscript off as pure fiction. Davis had noticed a difference in the details of his stories and looked to investigate. Kegley admitted that he had met with her at breakfast that day to try to convince her to return the manuscript, but, when she refused, he came back to her apartment later that morning and tossed her off of the balcony, planting the fake note in her house before leaving.

This story naturally made the news, and Adrian Monk was commended for his excellent work. Leland watched as Monk tried to pull Natalie into the actual press conference, and also took note of the disappointed expression on Monk's face when the Commissioner indicated that there wouldn't be room on the stage for assistants and that Monk's accomplishment was what he wanted to highlight.

* * *

The press conference over and the commissioner long since gone, Natalie out of the station for the moment on a coffee run with Randy (the good kind of coffee, Natalie had insisted, not what they tried to pass off as coffee at the station) and no looming business to attend to, Leland called Monk back to his office for a talk alone.

Leland walked behind his desk and motioned for Monk to close the door behind him on his way in. "Monk, sit down." Monk looked confused but did as requested. "Monk, I've told you before that you're the best detective I've ever seen, and I mean that. But you know, when the city calls upon you to solve cases, it generally does so expecting that you're going to go out there and do what our other officers can't, dazzle them with your analytical skills - not that you're going to be conducting amateur detective lessons with your assistant at a crime scene."

"Natalie's not an amateur. She's been around me for years," Monk protested at once.

"Exactly. She's your assistant. She's not trained in police work. She was combing through the crime scene and could have compromised evidence."

"Natalie wouldn't have done that. You underestimate her, Leland." Leland was honestly impressed that Monk had remained calm thus far. "She's grown. She's developed skills. She's really become an asset to my work. An asset to me," he said, his voice trailing off.

"Has she? Listen Monk, she's a bright girl. I don't doubt that at all. But, involving her in the middle of our cases in the way you've done the past few times…" Leland said.

"The first time wasn't my doing. If you remember, I couldn't put my finger on what wasn't normal. She came forward with the information about the capsules on her own." Monk defended what Natalie had done. He was still very proud of her.

"Yes, I'm aware she solved the case herself. But Monk, she's not credentialed. This raised some rather uncomfortable questions from the Commissioner. And, as much as I don't want to admit it, he was right," Leland said. Monk just looked on silently. "Monk, I can't have her traipsing all over my crime scenes. Natalie's great. Don't take this to mean we don't think so. But you're the one we hired for the job and you're the one we expect to point out all the evidence and solve the crimes."

Monk didn't protest. He had been in police work long enough to know that what Leland said was right, though he didn't like it. He grew quiet as he thought. "I hear what you're saying. And, I will comply. I will still bring her to the crime scenes because she belongs there, but I won't put her in the middle of the cases like you said." Monk was silent for a few moments. "But, just between you and me, Leland, something is different with Natalie. Somewhere along the way she has become more my partner than some assistant who hands me my wipes and picks up my laundry. I…I just wanted to show her that I appreciated what she was doing. I really like having her by my side when we work these cases and I don't even know if that even makes sense. But I thought I was doing the right thing by letting her have some of the limelight that she deserves."

Leland looked amused at his longtime friend and smiled. "You're about half-way there," he said.

"What's that?"

"In all the years I've known Ms. Teeger, I have never known Natalie to be one who craved the spotlight. She's perfectly content sitting back and let you take the bows. What I have noticed about her is that she really wants to feel appreciated, and feel appreciated by you most of all. And the fact that you have picked up on that and are looking to show her your appreciation…well, that is a very good thing. Good work, buddy. I would just like to ask that you not do it at my crime scenes and we can keep everyone, and by everyone I mean me and the commissioner, happy." Leland requested.

Adrian smiled and nodded his consent. "Well. I need to come up with something, Leland. What could I possibly do to thank her for everything she does?"

Leland grinned at his friend and leaned back in his chair. "Oh, you'll think of something my friend. I'm sure you'll think of something. You always do."

* * *

The something that he thought of came to him in the middle of the night. He was having a dream about Natalie, as he often did, and in the dream she was sitting in the living room with him. They were watching a movie together.

For some reason, in spite of the fact that it wasn't Christmas, the movie playing was based upon O. Henry's short story The Gift of the Magi in which a husband sells his watch in order to buy some hair combs for his wife for Christmas, not knowing that she has cut her hair in order to buy him a chain for his watch. The joy and fulfillment that the couple showed towards one another was still on his mind when he woke up in the morning and looked over at his clock, immediately remembering the fact that Natalie was in need of a watch.

There was an idea. He would get Natalie a watch. But, as he laid there in bed and pondered this, he became less and less enthused. No. Running out to a store and picking up just any old watch wasn't enough to show Natalie how much he had truly grown to appreciate her presence in his life, appreciate her as an individual and not merely as an assistant to make his life and world function easier. As he thought, he took no note of the language that he was using in his head concerning his assistant, otherwise he probably would have panicked and abandoned course altogether. Instead, he became wrapped up in the objective of the matter. It couldn't just be any old watch. It needed to be something _special_. Something _exquisite_. Something _one of a kind_ as _lovely_ and _graceful_ as she was. He would design it. And, it would be _beautiful_ and _feminine_ and as perfect as he could make it - because it was for Natalie, and she was special to him, and he wanted to let her know.


	3. The Watch

Monk worked throughout the night for nearly two weeks in order to perfect the design. When he was complete, he was rather proud of his creation and couldn't wait to get it to the jewelers in order to have it made. Of course, he couldn't ask Natalie to take him to the jewelers; and, while he could call a cab, he rather loathed the idea of subjecting himself to the germs and filth that he would likely find within some taxis. So he thought about Julie. He would get her to take him. She wouldn't mind. But what would be his excuse? He thought, and he thought, and could come up with nothing until his pager went off. Ah…a cell phone. Natalie wanted him to enter the 21st century by obtaining a smart phone. Julie was one of the more tech savvy people that he knew. So, he would ask Julie to take him out to help him find the perfect phone, all the while knowing that they were going to make a quick detour and visit the jeweler instead. It was a flawless plan.

* * *

Mr. Monk had been in such a good mood for the past two weeks that Natalie hardly questioned it when he called the house that lazy Tuesday afternoon just to chat. After around five minutes, however, her interest was piqued when he asked if she would put her daughter on the phone.

"Julie? Um, okay. I can go get her. What's going on?" Natalie asked.

Anticipating her question, he proudly announced to her that he was taking her advice and would be taking her daughter into town to help him pick out a cell phone for himself. "It was time that he entered the modern era."

Natalie laughed. "Will wonders never cease! There are miracles!" She put down the phone and got Julie who, after talking with Adrian, told Natalie that she would be back early evening after dropping Mr. Monk back off at his apartment.

* * *

On the way to the store, Monk carefully explained his real motivation in as clinical of terms as he possibly could.

"Julie, I didn't call you so that we could go get a cell phone." He said.

"You didn't?" Julie asked in confusion.

"No. You know your mother's watch?" he asked.

"The one that won't keep time?" she answered.

"Yes. Well, she's been working really hard recently…actually, I work her pretty hard all of the time… and I saw that she had a watch that didn't work, and I just wanted to give her a little token of my appreciation." He said.

"You're buying her a watch? That's awfully nice of you, Mr. Monk!" she said.

"Thank you. But, it's not just _any_ watch. It is one of a kind. I've been sketching it out for a couple of weeks now, and I'm having one made." he said.

"You _designed_ her a watch?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes." Adrian replied.

"Mr. Monk. You know there are some nice watches out there. You don't have to go have something made." She said.

He sighed and his next comment, and how he said it, definitely raised her eyebrows.

"I know, Julie. But, here's the thing. I wanted this watch to be..._special_. Completely _unique_. Kind of like your mother. So, if you don't mind…instead of hitting the phone store, can we stop by the jeweler near the Art Institute on Leavenworth? I hear they do the best work."

She looked over at Monk with curiosity. The look on his face was practically glowing. "Um, sure…Mr. Monk. I can take you wherever you need to go." She replied.

* * *

At the jeweler, Adrian stood in line until an associate was available to sit down and give him an estimate on what it would cost to execute his design. He and Julie sat at a desk across from the associate as the man ran the numbers, asking Monk questions along the way.

"Sir, you have here that it should be gold. You mean, gold-plated, of course?" he asked.

"No. I would like it to be pure gold." Adrian replied, then turned to Julie. "Do you think Natalie would like yellow gold or would she prefer white -in which case I might go platinum?"

Julie looked at Monk as if he were some strange creature that had just arrived from another planet. "Um. That heart necklace she wears all the time with my picture in it is yellow gold, so I think she would like that. But, Mr. Monk…?"

"Yellow gold." He answered to the associate.

"Okay. 18 carat gold? If you go for 24 it will be softer and probably won't last as long." The man suggested.

"Sure. 18 carat is okay." Adrian replied.

"Alright, woman's watch in 18 carat gold. It says here that you have, one, two, three… ten diamonds? Is that correct?" the associate asked.

"Yes. That's correct." Adrian replied.

Julie remained quiet, both because she was in total shock that her Mom's tightwad boss was even considering a gift, but also because she knew a meltdown was coming as soon as he heard the price for his little design. Expecting to leave soon, she grabbed her own smart phone to look for the simplest cellphone that she could find so that they didn't have to go home empty handed. Meanwhile, the associate continued to work. After a few minutes, he printed off an estimate form and handed it to Monk.

"Okay, Mr. Monk. One woman's watch in 18 carat gold with ten diamonds of exquisite color and quality surrounding it, with tax, it is $2,716.85."

Julie looked over as Adrian furrowed his brow, studying the estimate.

"$2,716.85?" he repeated.

She smirked, thinking _Welcome to the real world, Mr. Monk._

"Yes sir. Should we ask our jeweler to get started?" the associate asked.

"Um…" he looked down, fidgeting with the button on his coat.

"Mr. Monk, it's okay. You don't have to do this. You can just get her a card or..." Julie said, reaching out and touching his arm.

He ignored her, asking the associate, "What if I added a bevel?"

Julie was shocked. What was he doing? He's making the watch _more_ expensive?

"Sir, that would bring the watch up to $2759.25."

Adrian thought. "Engraving?"

Julie's mouth dropped open. The man had lost his mind.

"What would you like it to say?" the associate asked.

"I'd like to say whatever it takes in order to bump the price, with tax, up by $40.75." Monk replied.

Julie thought for a second, grinned and shook her head.

"That will get you 28 letters, including spaces." the associate replied.

"Okay. 28 letters. I can do 28 letters. With spaces?" Adrian asked.

"Yes, sir." The associate replied.

After a few moments of quiet thought, Monk smiled. He wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to the clerk.

"To Natalie With Love Adrian" the associate read out loud.

Monk smiled proudly then nodded.

"Very well sir, with tax, that is $2800.00 even. Should we get started?" he asked.

"Yes, please. Get started." Monk replied with glee, then he leaned forward and meticulously wrote the man a check. "Um, how long do you think it will take to get it back?"

The associate looked in the computer. "He's not terribly busy at present. I would say, we can get this back to you two weeks from today. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful. Thank you." Monk replied. Putting his checkbook back in his lapel, he looked at a completely stunned Julie. "Thank you for taking me here Julie. I really appreciate it."

* * *

On the way home, he had them stop by the local convenience store so that he could purchase a 'throwaway' cell phone that he could later destroy, giving them an excuse for returning to town to pick up the watch. Julie was still stunned and tried to chalk it up to her Mom's boss just being his eccentric self, but this was a bit much, even for Mr. Monk. Something must be up that she wasn't privy to. She would keep an open eye for any odd signals coming from Mr. Monk or her mother.

* * *

After two weeks, Monk received the phone call that he had been waiting for and called Natalie's house once again in the middle of a lazy afternoon.

"Hello?" Natalie asked.

"Hi, Natalie. It's me. Adrian...Monk." He said.

She laughed. "Yes. I know. I have caller ID. How are you today?" she asked.

"I'm very well. Thank you for asking." He replied, nervously. "Can…can I speak with Julie?"

Natalie jerked her head back in surprise. "Um. Sure? Everything okay?"

He replied with a carefully rehearsed speech that he had prepared for when she asked that question. "Yes. I um. Well, I kinda dropped and broke my cell phone. Dropped it in the dishwater. I need to go back into town and get a new one." He replied.

"You broke your cell phone?" Natalie asked with suspicion, as Julie walked up behind her. "Well, Mr. Monk I can take you into…"

"Is that Mr. Monk?" Julie interrupted, excitedly.

"Yes, sweetheart. It…it is." Natalie replied.

Julie reached out her hand and took the phone from her mother who just stared at her. Julie was a good actress, but this particular performance stretched credulity a bit too far.

"Yes, Mr. Monk?... WHAT!... OH NO! That's awful!" she exclaimed. "I guess we need to go pick you up a new one then... Nope, wouldn't want to be without a cell phone. You never know when you're going to get a call." She replied. "See you in 15 minutes."

Julie hung up and gave her mom a big smile. "Ah…that Mr. Monk…he just does not get modern technology. I tried to tell him to be careful, but he insisted on talking on the phone while walking outside of his building and it dropped from his hand and got run over by a car."

Natalie furrowed her brow. "He said he dropped it in some dishwater."

Julie looked nervous. "Oh yeah…um…that too. He dropped it on the ground, and it got run over by a car and got dirty…and well, you know him, everything has to be clean. So, he took it upstairs and dropped it in some dishwater to...um...clean it, I guess.. and I guess shorted it out. I've got to go, Mom. Will be back later this afternoon." She said rushing towards the door.

Natalie wasn't buying this for one moment, but didn't suspect Monk as much as he did Julie - or the both of them together. What were they up to?

"Okay. I'm going to head out to the store. What would you like for dinner?" Natalie asked.

"Oh. Whatever." Julie smiled, mumbling under her breath as she left "Natalie, with love…"

And she shut the door.

* * *

Monk and Julie arrived at the jewelers at quarter after two, when the traffic was still light and there were no customers in the store. Julie watched as Monk enthusiastically walked up to the counter and unfolded his receipt, then proceeded to ring the bell for as many times as it took for the clerk to arrive at the station…and then some.

"May I help you sir?" the clerk asked.

_*ring*ring*ring, ring*ring_

"Um, yes. I have come here to…" _*ring, ring*_ "to…, um pick…" _*ring*_

Julie quickly stepped up and grabbed the bell, giving him a look to which he nodded a soft "thank you."

Looking back at the clerk, Monk continued. "I've come here to pick up a watch that I designed. A Mr. Garrison called earlier today and said that it was ready."

The clerk took the bell from Julie and looked back at Monk. "Do you have a receipt?"

Monk handed the receipt to the woman.

"Ah. Mr. Monk. Yes. We have your watch back in the back. All I can say is that's one lucky lady. I'll go get it." She said with a smile before walking away.

As they waited, Julie walked over to the counter where they sold charms for bracelets. Adrian noticed and turned to her. "If you want one of those, let me know. You've been so nice carting me around. It's the least I can do."

Julie looked at him and wondered where the real Adrian Monk was and who was this imposter? But, then she shrugged her shoulders and figured, "Well, if he's buying, I might as well…"

From the front of the store, Monk heard a beep. It was the door. As he looked up, he watched four men enter the building and spread out. Immediately, the cop in him kicked in as they definitely did not look like they belonged. Keeping his eyes on them and on Julie, he waited for the clerk to come back and wished that he had brought his weapon. Finally, he became wary enough that he called Julie up to the counter.

"Julie. Would you come over here a minute?" he asked, nonchalantly.

Julie hadn't found a charm she liked, so she walked away from the counter and joined Adrian at his side.

"Thanks for the offer, Mr. Monk. But I didn't see anything I wanted." She said, as he looked beyond her. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Those guys that just came in the store." He whispered. "I don't like the looks of them. Stay by me."

As the clerk returned to their area, Julie couldn't help but turn her head to look at who had caused Monk to become so concerned. Underneath one of their jackets, she spotted a gun.

"He's got a gun, Mr. Monk!" she said in a voice that was a bit too loud.

Immediately, the man pulled out the gun from it's holster and pointed it at Julie. Monk grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind himself.

"Listen! Hands up. Don't nobody move! This is a hold up! I want all of you to empty your pockets and I want the sales people to empty the displays and put the contents in this bag. Ty over there has enough TNT strapped to his body to make this entire building a crater in the middle of the street, so do as I say and nobody will get hurt."

The one they called Ty opened his jacket to reveal a large quantity of explosives strapped to his chest with a button on front that was no doubt the detonator.

Julie began to panic.

"Mr. Monk. We've got to get out of here!" she said, frightened tears coming down her face.

Adrian looked back at her. "Don't worry, Julie. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"You! In the brown jacket. Empty your pockets." The lead guy shouted. "NOW!"

Monk walked over to the counter and removed his wallet and a few loose bills that he had stuffed in his jacket pocket.

"And your ring?" the man ordered.

Adrian looked down at the wedding ring that he still wore, thirteen years after the death of his wife.

"Please." He begged. "Not this."

The man pointed a gun at Julie and said "It's the ring, or the girl. Your choice."

Adrian looked over at Julie and quickly removed his wedding band and handed it to the man. The man handed the items to Ty.

Julie put her hand on Adrian's shoulder and began to sob even more. She was terrified. Monk turned his head towards her and nodded at her as if to say, "It's okay."

As the clerks continued to empty displays, the leader of the gang walked around waving his gun and spouting some nonsense about getting back a little of what he felt was due him after a lifetime in that city. Julie continued to panic. When the man had moved about eight feet to Adrian's left, Julie spotted an opening between them and the door.

"Come on!" she whispered, and she began to run.

The man with the gun turned and pointed it towards Julie, who was now being blocked from exiting the room by one of the other criminals. She turned around and began to move back towards Monk. She got about three feet from Adrian when the gunman ordered her to stop.

"We've got a runner, boys. I don't like it when people disobey my orders. Just so the rest of you know what the repercussions are when that happens, say goodbye to your little friend here." He said, as he pulled back the hammer.

In one movement, Monk grabbed Julie's arm and slung her underneath a table and charged the man with the gun, tackling him to the ground. As they fell, the gunman's weapon discharged and the bullet hit Ty directly in the throat. In horror, Monk, Julie, and the gunman watched as Ty dropped down to his knees and then fell directly onto the detonator of the mechanism strapped to his chest.


	4. The Desperate Call

Julie opened her eyes, not knowing how long it had been since the explosives had detonated. One of the legs of the table Mr. Monk had thrown her under had been blown to bits in the explosion causing the table to partially fall on top of her, but it had kept her out of harm's way for the biggest part of the collapse. Mr. Monk saved her life doing what he did.

She coughed and remembered something Mr. Monk taught her when he'd told her a story about a case that he and her mother had helped solve. In accordance with his instructions, she looked around for something to cover her mouth so she wouldn't breathe in toxic dust. She looked down at herself and her eyes filled with tears. Her favorite shirt was ripped from the shoulder all the way down to her wrist. Since it was already ripped, she figured ripping it again couldn't destroy it any more, so she used her shirt as a makeshift mask to cover her mouth.

Now she had to find Mr. Monk, thank him for saving her life, promise him she'd think of something to return the favor someday and most importantly, figure out a way to get out of there. She wasn't sure how long it had been since the explosion, but she promised her mom she'd be home by dark, and her mom was super-strict about curfew even though she was eighteen. Maybe Mr. Monk could put in a good word for her.

Julie crawled out from under her protection-table, smartphone firmly in hand (at least she hadn't lost that) and called out for Mr. Monk. Only when she stood, and almost immediately collapsed to the ground, did she realize she had twisted her ankle. She muttered a few words under her breath that her mom, and especially Mr. Monk, would not appreciate her using, and she stumbled along, steadfastly ignoring the white-hot pain that shot up her ankle each step she took.

She looked around for Mr. Monk and realized in horror that she couldn't find him and that he wasn't responding to her screaming. As her voice grew louder, tears began streaming down her face. When her leg bumped into what she thought was fallen debris, she discovered what was, in actuality, a broken and bloodied, face-down, deceased human body. Julie recognized the shirt. It was the man she had handed the bell to, the one that had gone to get the watch that was supposed to be for her mother. She turned away and would have thrown up if she hadn't suddenly realized something else. No one else was coming out from their hiding places and helping her with a rescue. She was the only person alive, as far as she knew.

**Mr. Monk!**

With one hand clutching her smartphone, even tighter because she now understood that it was the only lifeline she had until she could determine the best and safest way out of there, and her other hand holding the ripped piece of fabric to her mouth to keep the worst of the pollutants away, Julie Teeger looked frantically for her mom's boss amidst the destruction and the rubble and cried out his name once more. Finally, she saw him. Or rather, she saw the parts of him she could see. Mr. Monk was flat on his back on what used to be the nice, clean floor of the store but was now dust, dirt, and debris. His eyes were closed and he was bleeding from his nose and mouth, with two pieces of concrete across his lower body. She didn't have to be a doctor to know that his legs were crushed. He wasn't moving.

She thought better of walking and crawled towards him on all fours, using only one hand at a time to maintain balance to keep hold of her phone and shirt-mask. Julie engineered herself a space as close to Mr. Monk as she could and immediately, she pressed her ear to his nose to see if she could hear him breathing. It was weak, so very weak, but it was there. He was trapped there, they both were because she wasn't leaving him, but they were alive and that was more than she could say for the rest of the people.

Julie wiped her eyes with the cloth she had been using to cover her mouth. _Davenports soldier on_, that's what her grandmother always told her and her mother, and that is what she would do. She was going to stay there by Mr. Monk's side until she figured out a way to get them out. They were going to get out of there and go find her mom and Mr. Monk was going to give her that watch, and while he was explaining it to her mom why he _designed_ her a watch, he could explain it to Julie too because she still didn't understand.

She moved inch-by-inch, careful to not hurt him, and reached across his chest inside his jacket for the packet of wipes she knew would be there. Silently, she blessed Mr. Monk for taking these wipes everywhere he went. She used half of the brand-new and unopened package to clean his face and mouth, quietly apologizing to him if it stung or hurt at all, even though he obviously couldn't hear or respond. She was closing up the package to save the rest for later, when she heard the best sound she'd heard since the entire explosion happened. Mr. Monk coughed. He coughed again and opened his eyes and she saw the instant relief on his face when he saw her.

"Mr. Monk," she whispered. "You're hurt. Lay still, okay? I think everyone else in here might be dead."

His eyes blinked a few times before ultimately focusing on her. "You okay?" he rattled.

Julie reached for his hand and he reached out, too, holding her hand in his. She figured the euphoria of not dying in a store detonated into a crumble by robbers with explosives overrode his phobia of germs. That's the only reason he was holding her hand.

"I think I busted my ankle, but I'm alright. You saved my life, Mr. Monk." She sniffled and couldn't help but start to cry- deep, wet, uncontrollable sobs. "I would have died if you didn't go after that man with the gun. And you didn't even hesitate. You let them take your _wedding ring_ to save me."

Monk blinked a few more times. "Your mother would... never forgive me ... if anything happened to you," he uttered softly, coughing with each phrase; and, each time he coughed more blood spilled from his mouth. Julie shushed him and told him to be quiet. She didn't want him to hurt himself more by talking. He whispered, his mouth and breath straining with every word, that he'd stop talking if she stopped crying.

"You're a good kid." he said.

"I like you, too, Mr. Monk," Julie whimpered, wiping her eyes, smiling in spite of herself. Despite the very bad situation they found themselves in, here he was, bleeding, his legs were probably crushed and he was covered in dirt - and he was worried about her. "But we need to make a plan to get out of here and get you some help. Any ideas, mom's boss?"

Help was a good idea. Help was the best idea he'd heard since the gunmen had come into the store. He wasn't going to tell Julie how hurt he was or that he couldn't feel his legs or anything below his waist.

"Thought - you - didn't - want - me - to - talk." He said, through labored breath. He blinked again to get his eyes to focus and make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. "Julie... phone."

Julie could have smacked herself for being so absolutely moronic and forgetting about her phone. Mr. Monk watched her every move as she pressed the power button and prayed her smartphone would turn on again. She squealed in happiness when it powered on, but her heart sank when it showed only one bar of service and fifteen percent battery.

She assured Mr. Monk that she'd be right back to stay with him. She promised. But, she needed to go further out to look for better service. It was the only way for her to get help for them. Monk immediately told her no, to stay here with him, but Julie repeated her promise to him that she'd be back as soon as she could.

She was beginning to move away when the building started to shake and dust started to move. Monk's raspy voice was full of panic as he screamed as loud as he could "Julie! Get back over here this instant!" His eyes were wide in horror, following her every movement as she scampered back towards him as fast as her ankle would allow. Once she was within the distance that Mr. Monk could reach for her, he did, ordering her to huddle down against him and lay down face-down. He told her not to be scared. He was here to keep her protected. Monk put his right arm over her back and murmured into her hair that everything was going to be okay. His hand and forearm splayed out over her neck and head. That was the last thing Julie remembered before the parts of the store that were still standing started to move and there was another collapse. Everything went black.

* * *

When she woke up, she touched the back of her head and felt a knot there. That explained the headache. Julie tried to move and couldn't, not an inch, and she immediately felt herself start to panic. But, she calmed herself down with breathing exercises her mother had once taught her.

Coughing up dust and droplets of blood, she turned her head as best she could, and as soon as she did she discovered the reason she couldn't move. Mr. Monk's arm was splayed across her back, the way it was when the second implosion happened; but, it was bloodied and bruised and pinned to her body by a fallen metal beam. Julie cried, knowing he had put his arm over her to protect her, and no doubt that beam that crushed his arm would have killed her if it had landed on her full-force. She cried even harder as she used every ounce of energy she had left to bring herself to her knees, carefully moving Monk's broken arm to lay it across his chest.

She winced. If her ankle wasn't broken before, she was sure it was broken now - not that her measly broken ankle mattered now. Not when Mr. Monk looked even worse than he had been before and his labored breathing was more strained. Julie crept towards him and held his hand, whispering to him quietly not to worry. She was going to get them out of there and get help.

"You can count on me, Mr. Monk," she cried, patting his uninjured hand. Then, gently, she wiped his face with her shirt and pressed her mouth lightly against his cheek. "I'll find my phone and I'll call Mom. The table might still be there. I'll go there."

Julie thought it miraculous that her phone was still there, unshattered, and prayed a prayer of thanks to someone she wasn't sure she believed in, that the phone was still powered on. The lone one bar of service and eight percent battery taunted her, but she dialed her mother's number no matter how much of a long-shot it was. She could swear she could hear firetrucks, police and ambulances in the distance, and she had to try.

She put her head in her hands and cried for what seemed like hours when the call to her mother went straight to voicemail, but she looked back at Mr. Monk and her mother's voice echoed in her head. She'd heard her mother say it so many times over the years when the three of them were out and Mr. Monk got _that look_ where he had figured out something about whatever case they were working on. _I'll call the captain_, her mom would always say, and now-Commander Leland Stottlemeyer would inevitably show up to help them find the answers.

Feeling hope for the first time, she scrolled through her phone and sent up a prayer of thanks for her mother's insistence that she put the number for the Commander's personal line into her phone for emergencies when her mom couldn't be reached. She pressed the send button and scarcely breathed, in desperate hope that not only would the call go through and her phone wouldn't die, but that someone would be there to answer. One rings, two rings, three…Julie heard her phone beep with the beep that meant her battery was low and her phone would soon shut down. Four rings, five rings, six.

"Stottlemeyer."

Julie almost sobbed in relief when she heard the familiar voice. "It's Julie. Julie Teeger. We need your help, Commander."

"Julie? What's going on? Why are you calling me? Where's your mom?"

Julie continued to cry as she heard rustling and movement on the other end of the line.

"Is there any way this could wait? Randy and I just got called to the scene of a potential homicide. The jewelry store near the Art Institute just had an explosion and the building collapsed. Could you do me a huge favor and call your mom and Monk and tell them to meet us there?"

Julie cried even harder as she looked back to Mr. Monk. He looked like he was getting worse, if possible, and she wanted to go sit with him; but she didn't dare leave the spot where she was, just in case she didn't get reception over there.

"We're here, Commander. Mr. Monk and me. We are in that building," she sobbed. "He's crushed. He's hurt really bad. We're - we're trapped in here. And I can't get a hold of mom...and.. and you were the only other number I have in my phone that could help us, and - I want my mom, Commander." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Everyone else in here is dead and I..." she began to sob. "I...don't want...Mr. Monk to die. He's been so nice to me all these years."

"Julie, try to stay calm. _Randy, I don't care what you're doing today, we need to go now. Monk and Julie are at the building collapse._ Randy and I will find your mom, Julie, and we'll come for you. Help is already on the way and they'll be there soon and they'll start to work on getting you out. Now tell me, is Monk breathing? How badly is he hurt? Are you hurt?"

"I think I broke my ankle and Mr. Monk got crushed by all the stuff that fell when the store exploded. I'm afraid. He's dying." Julie cried. "My…my phone's going to shut off soon, Commander. Please find my mom and tell her we're sorry we lied to her and went off somewhere she didn't know about. She won't know where to find us."

The normally gruff voice on the other end of the line was incredibly gentle now. "No one is going to die, Julie Teeger- certainly not you and not Monk. Both of you will get to tell your mother everything you want to tell her, do you understand me? I'm going to hang up now so Randy and I can leave and find your mom and you can conserve your phone for when your mom wants to call you back. Stay with Monk, kiddo, don't go anywhere he can't see you. We'll be there soon, I promise."

The phone disconnected before Julie had a chance to tell the Commander that Mr. Monk was unconscious and his eyes weren't open to be able to see her no matter where she went. But nevertheless she did what the Commander said and went back to Mr. Monk, holding his hand and wiping the dirt and grime off of him as best she could. Mr. Monk hated dirt and here he was covered in it. The least she could do after he saved her life was keep him clean.

Her phone flashed red. Four percent battery. Julie mumbled to herself in between the tears trickling down her cheeks that she was a Davenport and _Davenports soldier on_. She could keep it together until Commander Stottlemeyer found her mom and brought her there and until help came to get them out. She had to. _She was a Davenport and Davenports soldier on._

* * *

Captain Randy Disher was in her driveway pacing back and forth in front of his police cruiser when Natalie arrived home. She rushed towards him, her groceries all but forgotten. He'd called her when she was in the middle of shopping for that weeks' grocery list, and told her to come home right away. He would be there waiting for her and he needed to take her somewhere immediately. He wouldn't tell her more than that, but the uncharacteristically somber note to his voice was more than enough to make her drop everything but the bag of frozen items she had already paid for and run to her car. She was sure she'd run more than one red light on the way home.

"What happened to Julie?" were the first words out of her mouth. "You and Leland are homicide detectives, what happened to my daughter?!"

Natalie hadn't realized she was screaming until Randy was there in front of her and pulled her into a hug, which only served to frighten her even more because Randy Disher – and Leland Stottlemeyer, for that matter - almost never hugged her.

"There's a jewelry store ten blocks away. There was a robbery attempt and one of the robbers wore a detonator device and blew up half the store. Monk and Julie were in that building."

"Julie went to take Mr. Monk to get a new cell phone," Natalie told him shakily, already knowing Randy wouldn't be here to collect her personally if it wasn't true. "Julie told me he dropped his new phone in the sink and it died."

Randy was already leading her to his car and helping her into the front seat. The flashing blue siren went on almost instantly and all it took was hearing that sound to cause Natalie to burst into tears. Randy reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before backing out of her driveway and driving twenty miles over the speed limit down the road.

"Julie's scared but alive. She was able to call Leland and relay some important information. She says she's sure she broke her ankle but other than that she's fine."

Natalie must have breathed during Randy's rundown of the events but she wouldn't swear to it. "Mr. Monk?"

Randy pressed harder to the accelerator and progressed to thirty miles over the speed limit. "I think Leland should talk to you about Monk."


	5. The Rescue

_**Author's Note: **Hi! I'd like to introduce myself as co-author of this story because I don't think many of you know me in this fandom. My screenname is KittyKat06 and my name is Christina. I was introduced to Monk earlier this spring by a friend and proceeded to spend the spring/summer binge-recording the entire series from Hallmark. Now, you might think it's cheating to start co-authoring a story when I haven't actually finished watching the series yet, but thanks to some of you and the faithful Monk Wikipedia, I know the very basics of how the series ends and I am annoyed already that Monk and Natalie don't end up together. Part of me understands why - it would be hard to write Monk realistically in any relationship based on the time-frame of the series because of how emotionally devastated he was by Trudy's death - but it would have been just as easy to slap up a Six Months Later tag at the end of the finale and have Monk ask Natalie on a date. Well, this story isn't a Six Months Later tag, but we hope you like it!_

_**PS:** The next episode in my Monk queue to watch is the season six finale, "Mr. Monk Is On The Run." Janine (MonkNotJunk) tells me that's a good one!_

_**PPS.** Special thank you to Alex Hoodle for her encouragement and reviews, and a thank you to those who are favoriting and following this story/series._

* * *

Natalie was silent the entire ride to the site of the explosion, looking out the window and remaining mute at Randy's attempts at conversation until, finally and mercifully, he stopped trying. The minute he pulled into the lot of what used to be that jewelry store, Natalie unbuckled her seat-belt and frantically scanned the crowded area for any sign of her daughter or Mr. Monk. She hoped wherever they were, they were together. Soon, she saw a glimpse of Leland Stottlemeyer in the crowd and jumped out of the car before Randy even put it in park, running to the commander as fast as her legs would take her. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and got directly in his face, screaming and demanding to know where the two most important people in her life were. Leland's arms immediately folded around her, but she barely noticed.

"The fire department is working through the rubble trying to determine the safest plan of action to get in there. We have to let them do their jobs, Natalie," Leland said quietly. "So far all I've heard is that they hope to be in the main section of the building in fifteen to twenty minutes. That's where Monk and Julie are."

"Fifteen to twenty minutes?!" Natalie echoed, twisting away from Leland and searching for the nearest person in charge she could talk to. "That's unacceptable. Mr. Monk and Julie might not have twenty minutes! Julie must be so scared..."

Leland's voice was strong and reassuring. If he hadn't been there, Natalie's already-tenuous grasp on her emotions would have snapped, and she would have completely fallen apart.

"Julie sounded strong when she called me," the commander assured Natalie. "She was scared, which is understandable; but she's worried more about Monk than anything about herself. I guess in one sense, that's a good thing. If it was Jared or Max in there, I'd want them to have something else to focus on."

Natalie said nothing,but stepped back from Leland and wiped the tears from her face with her hand and sleeve, then folded her arms in front of her.

Leland took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. Natalie instinctively hugged the jacket around herself and murmured a quiet _thank you._

"I would have stayed on the phone with her longer" he continued, "but she mentioned that her phone was on low battery. And if we need to talk to her later..."

His voice trailed off. Natalie wasn't particularly sure she wanted him to finish that sentence, anyway. She wanted her daughter and Mr. Monk out of that rubble, and she wanted them out now.

* * *

Julie stayed inside that cramped, dark section of rubble for what seemed like forever, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing. Her world was now only this small space and Mr. Monk. Her only job was keeping him alive. He wasn't showing any signs of improvement and still hadn't regained consciousness; and his breathing was so, so shallow and rattling. There were times Julie silenced her own cries because it sounded like Mr. Monk had stopped breathing entirely, and her own heart would stop. But then, just before she would touch her hand to his neck to look for a pulse, he would start breathing again. Julie was convinced that he was going to die and she was going to lose the closest thing she'd had to a father-figure since her real father died when she was a child. They were running out of time.

The packet of wipes remained in her lap, she was running out of those, too. But Mr. Monk needed them more, and she was determined to reserve those for him. She jumped when her phone rang. It was steadily blinking red because her battery life was now at two percent. Julie sobbed harder when she answered and heard her mom's frantic voice telling her that she loved her and they were all working to get her and Mr. Monk out soon.

"Mom!" Julie cried, her words coming out in a rush, hoping to get everything out before her phone cut off. "It's bad, mom, he's hurt really bad and I'm scared. He's breathing funny and someone needs to get us out of here soon because I don't know what to do. I am afraid he's going to die. Mom..I'm so scared! Tell them to -"

There was a loud sound of something else falling to the ground and all of a sudden all Natalie heard were Julie's horrified screams that soon dissolved into whimpering and then Natalie could hear no more. Julie wouldn't answer her.

Randy and Leland both made a mad grab to hold on to Natalie when she suddenly dropped the phone, screaming her daughter's name and sprinting towards the building. Randy hurriedly picked up Natalie's phone to talk to Julie while Leland caught up to her in two quick strides and wrapped both of his arms around her, holding her firmly against him.

"I know. I know it's hard, but you need to stay out here with us. Let them get Monk and Julie out safely and then you can see her."

Natalie struggled mightily against the commander's strong grasp. "Remember when that guy was killing all the Julies? I stole your car and I wrecked it trying to see for myself that she was okay, but you didn't care because you said it was what any parent would do! You said that, Leland! You said that!"

Leland's hold on her never wavered. "Yes, I did, Ms. Teeger, but I would never be able to explain it to Monk or Julie if we let you run into a building that is already half-collapsed and you got hurt. The rest of it could go at any moment." His gruff voice was soft. "Julie's being brave and strong in there, Natalie, you need to do your part and be brave and strong out here while you wait for her. Can you do that or do I have to continue to hold onto you like this for... however long it takes?"

Natalie stopped fighting and turned, burying her face in his chest and crying. Her daughter, her beautiful perfect daughter, was in there all alone and frightened and in who knows what condition, and her eccentric boss and the best friend she had might be on the verge of death. Natalie had almost lost him months ago, she couldn't lose him again. Not when she finally had come to accept that she had... No. She couldn't go down that road right now. She couldn't. She needed to thank him for keeping Julie safe, for starters, and then, once he was safe from imminent death, well...maybe she could tell him some other things, too.

* * *

Randy came to where they were standing and tapped Leland on the shoulder. Leland stiffened and looked at Natalie with concern. She wiped her eyes and nodded and, though she instinctively looked longingly at the jewelry store, she promised him she'd be good and stay there. Leland nodded at her but still watched her carefully as he stepped a few feet away to talk to Randy.

"What?" he asked.

Randy's voice, serious and somber, stopped Leland's frustrated attitude. "We won't be getting anything else from Julie. The battery on her phone died. Monk is still unconscious, from what we know. Have you heard anything from the firemen?"

* * *

Before he could answer, the three friends heard a commotion and saw a flurry of movement from twenty feet away. Natalie moved to where Leland and Randy were standing and Leland put his hand on her shoulder.

"We have access, chief!" they heard one of the rescuers say. "We're in!"

The three friends watched and listened intently as the fire-chief spoke quickly to his men and the EMT's, Natalie consistently wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Randy handed her his handkerchief and Natalie blew her nose.

"There's a dangerous situation in there, gentlemen," they heard the fire-chief say, and his tone, much like Leland's when he got into full commander-mode, conveyed the severity of the situation. "The structure inside is still unstable so we need you to be very careful when going in. We've gotten contact from one of the people inside, a young woman, and it seems she is relatively unhurt. I want to do everything possible to keep her that way. She's indicated to us that there is another person inside, a man, who may be gravely injured. Possible crush injuries. Men, these people may be the only survivors. Please, do everything you can to extract them both and bring them to safety - but stay safe yourself."

* * *

Ten minutes had never seemed like so much of an eternity to Natalie, and even to Leland and Randy, but that was how long it took before there was the first sign of movement inside the building. Moments later two paramedics slowly exited the structure, each holding the arm of a heavily limping Julie Teeger. As soon as she saw her mother she broke free from the paramedics and half-ran, half-dragged her twisted ankle to where her mom was standing.

Leland had loosened his hold on Natalie the minute he saw Julie coming forth from the rubble and he and Randy took a step back as Natalie's tears started all over again when she held her daughter in her arms, smoothing her hair and inspecting her for injuries other than the ankle. "Julie, thank God!" she sobbed into her daughter's hair. "Are you all right?"

Julie was suddenly very much aware that her shirt, originally only ripped from the shoulder to the arm, was ripped down the middle to where it was fully opened and hanging off of her. Natalie took off Leland's jacket and put it on her daughter and much like Natalie had done Julie instinctively hugged the jacket around her. "I'll be fine, Mom. It's Mr. Monk," she answered through chattering teeth, partially brought on by cold and partially by nerves. "He's really, really hurt and he's not breathing well and...he has to be okay, mom! He saved my life -twice!"

* * *

Unaware of his close proximity to the four friends of Adrian Monk waiting for news, a fireman rushed out from the rubble and went directly to the chief.

"There's a problem, sir." he said. "The victim's situation is too unstable for us to even think about moving that beam right now. He's unconscious and breathing is very shallow. We're worried about internal injuries because he keeps bleeding from his nose and his mouth. We have bilateral pulses but we're looking at major crush injuries and impaired motor function from the waist down."

"Jefferson! I need you to go into the site to see what we need to do to restore airway control."

"Understood, sir." a man, they assumed was Jefferson replied before heading into the building.

The fireman continued. "What we need more than anything right now is something to stabilize the structure around the victim so that we don't have another collapse while trying to get him out. We can't move him without moving the beam. Sir, time is of the essence. His airway will get more constricted and he will bleed to death, slowly, if we don't get some equipment in there."

Julie started to cry and buried her face in her mother's chest - the radiating pain in her ankle, no longer mattering to her. Natalie wasn't faring much better, the gravity of the situation seeping into her bones. Mr. Monk may have literally traded his own life to keep her child safe. He couldn't die here like this - not all alone covered in dirt and grime and surrounded by destruction. She needed to be with him. She needed to be with him **now**.

* * *

There was another EMT talking about needing to get a splint for a complex fracture of the right arm and Julie cried harder. "He was protecting me. He must have seen that more stuff was going to fall because he yelled at me to come back and he made me lay down beside him. He put his arm on top of me and told me not to worry and everything was going to be okay."

Natalie thrust Julie in Leland and Randy's direction and headed towards the building. The fire-chief stood in front of her, explaining why she couldn't go in there, it was just too dangerous, but Natalie didn't care. When the chief physically blocked her from going further, she sank to her knees and sobbed, no longer caring who saw her.

Immediately, Leland was there, like she knew he would be, crouching down beside her, holding her in his strong arms.

"Monk's survived a lot worse than this so many times, he'll be out of there as soon as we know it. He'll need us to be strong."

"Leland," Natalie cried, continuing to weep. "There are so many things I have to... he needs to know!"

They stayed like that on the ground for a few minutes until Natalie was able to stand, and this time Natalie was thankful Leland wasn't letting go of her. She was certain she'd fall straight back to the ground if he hadn't been holding her.

"Natalie, I am almost certain that whatever it is you think you have to tell Monk, he already knows. Julie needs you right now and you won't be helping Monk one bit if you go in there and get yourself hurt and get in their way when they're trying to rescue him. We'll be able to see him soon, I promise."

* * *

Another twenty minutes passed before more rescue personnel arrived on the scene with wood and rebar to reinforce the unstable structure surrounding Monk. There was a portable shop crane, too. Thirty minutes after they entered the site with the new supplies the fire-marshal signaled that the EMT's could enter and begin prepping Monk for transport.

Leland and Randy stood on either side of Natalie, mostly to keep her from making another run for the storefront. An ambulance was waiting for Julie, but she refused the paramedics' attempt to check her for injuries until Mr. Monk was safely out of the wreckage of the collapsed building. Since Julie was eighteen, there was nothing the paramedics or Natalie could do. So Julie stayed with the three of them, wrapped safely in her mother's arms, and the four of them stayed out of the way waiting. Watching and waiting and, for some of them, praying.

* * *

Natalie continued to weep, quietly. Leland knew the tears weren't solely for Julie. He had his private suspicions on what the things were that Natalie had so badly wanted to tell Monk. He had watched the two of them, together, for years, and in spite of a ten year plus age difference, and Monk's tendency to sometimes - most of the time - take Natalie for granted, Monk and Natalie were extremely close and had grown even closer in the year since Monk had finally gotten the closure he needed from solving Trudy's murder. He knew that the three of them- Monk, Natalie and Julie - had created a sort of makeshift family unit. Monk might not necessarily inconvenience himself for Natalie, but he would without question risk his life for her or for Julie - and she for him. That was proven today. It would kill either one of them if something were to happen to the other.

Leland Stottlemeyer had seen this firsthand years ago when Monk was being framed for murder and they were forced to fake Monk's death. Natalie was left alone planning his funeral. Monk had kept her in the dark to protect her, knowing she would hurt and mourn him, but telling Leland that it was one thing if something happened to him during this escapade, but Natalie and Julie must be protected at all cost. Leland understood their dynamic and he believed Natalie wanted to tell Monk only good things. Leland wasn't sure if Monk was ready or willing to hear those things, but maybe this horrible day would end with something good after all.

* * *

Leland, Randy, Natalie and Julie watched with bated breath as fire-crew and paramedics worked together to extract their friend and move him out. Leland chuckled when he found himself thinking it was good Monk was unconscious, he would hate all of this dirt and mess. It was another twelve minutes of painstaking work before the paramedics were finally able to place a cervical collar around Monk's head and neck. From there it was all hands on deck as Monk was transferred carefully to a stretcher, secured firmly in place with Velcro straps, and cleared from the wreckage.

Leland and Randy held the girls firmly in their grasp so Natalie and Julie wouldn't run to Monk and impede his progress to the hospital. The men would follow Monk's ambulance to the hospital in Randy's squad car and Natalie would, of course, ride with Julie in a separate ambulance. The three adults were pleased when Julie consented to being checked out now that they knew Monk was out and going to get the medical care he needed.

Leland stood behind Natalie, holding her upright, as she held Julie, and Randy had his hand on Natalie's shoulder, and they watched Monk being evaluated outside before he would be taken to the waiting ambulance. He was covered in layers of dust, his clothes were torn and stained in blood and his complexion was deathly pale. Both of his legs were in specialty transport casts.

Leland Stottlemeyer was no doctor but even he knew his friend - his best friend of thirty years - was in bad shape. Bad shape indeed.


	6. The Family's Wait

The medical lead did a quick evaluation of Monk's condition. Observing his respiration, and noting the bleeding from his mouth and lungs, he suspected internal bleeding; however, when they turned him on his side inside the building order to place him on the stretcher, the gush of blood that had drained from his mouth somehow reduced the amount of blood they were seeing overall. Therefore, he made a temporary determination of possible pulmonary contusion, and ordered that he be intubated so that they could address Monk's more pressing needs. It was a good plan, nevertheless, before they were able to implement it, they found themselves in an even more dire situation.

* * *

Leland, Randy, Natalie and Julie stayed out of the way, sitting about twenty feet from the medical team as they worked on Adrian. There was a flurry of activity; but, it all seemed quite organized as each person had a place and knew the role that they were expected to fill. One paramedic was stationed near Monk, hooking him up to potentially life-saving intravenous fluids. He had just placed the needle in Adrian's arm when Natalie and Leland both spotted Adrian's eyes opening and his left hand motioning weakly for the paramedic to bend down.

The paramedic was surprised to see Adrian conscious and wanted to tell him that everything was going to be okay. But Adrian wasn't concerned about all that. Rather, when he motioned for the man to bend down, he asked a one-word question.

.

"Julie?"

.

It took a moment for the man to understand what Monk was asking, but when he did, he gave Adrian the answer he wanted.

"Julie?" he repeated, loud enough for Monk's friends to hear. "Sir, Julie is okay. Your daughter is out of the building and safe. You don't need to worry about her."

The look of worry on Monk's face immediately seemed to subside, and the friends watched him as through labored breath he smiled ever so slightly and shut his eyes, whispering in the faintest of voices, "Julie's safe…That's good."

Natalie looked over at her daughter, who sat silently and watched along with her. She kissed the side of Julie's head and then laid her cheek on the top of her head. She then looked over at Leland who looked down and smiled. Surely, this was a good sign.

* * *

Within thirty seconds, the paramedic had rigged up the IV bag and was turning to get some medicine to put in it. As he walked away, the friends had a clear view of Adrian and could better see what a struggle it was for him to breathe. Every few seconds, he would inhale deeply through his mouth in a motion that involved his jaw. The breath would catch, and then he would exhale, making a crackling or rattling sound as he did.

"Mom. That's the sound I was talking about. That's how he's been breathing. Can't they help him?" Julie asked.

"They're working on that now, honey." She replied, looking up at Leland for assurance.

Leland nodded and patted her on the shoulder, and she laid her cheek again on Julie's head. Leland then returned his eyes to Monk. On the job, he had seen plenty of people who were in the throes of death, and what he was witnessing there made him very uncomfortable.

One labored breath after another, Monk struggled on. Eyes closed. Brow furrowed. Straining to get oxygen and straining to release what breath he got. Leland was beginning to become aggravated that the paramedic had not returned, when he witnessed a disturbing image that he would never forget.

On the inhale, Adrian opened his eyes wide and stared straight ahead, then slowly, he released the breath in one long sigh, his facial muscles becoming placid and his body becoming limp. His chest stopped moving and his left arm dropped loosely to his side.

"Monk?!" Leland said, with a sound of concern. This was enough to get Natalie's attention and she sat up.

With horror in his eyes, Leland inched forward and tilted his head.

"Monk?..." Nothing. No breathing. No stirring. No blinking eyes. "Awe, no! Monk!" He Exclaimed. "Paramedic! We need help, NOW!"

As the paramedic ran back over to his station, Natalie leaned forward and said through a trembling voice and eyes brimming with tears, "Adrian?". She then looked at Leland with a wounded expression and called out his name as well. "Leland?"

He looked back her way, at a loss for words, and shook his head.

Putting her hand up to her face, she began to cry. Leland pulled her into his side for support as they watched the paramedic move the IV out of the way and try to communicate with Adrian.

"Mr. Monk? Hey! Adrian? Can you hear me?...Awe…don't do this man!" he said, putting his fingers on the side of Adrian's neck.

As the lead technician came forward the paramedic filled in him. "Sir, we've lost pulse and he's stopped breathing!"

The tech confirmed that there was no pulse or breathing and ordered them to start chest compressions. The medical team launched into action.

Ripping Adrian's shirt open in front, an EMT began performing CPR while another prepared the endotracheal tube for intubation.

"Stop compressions so we can intubate!" the tech ordered. The EMT immediately stopped and a paramedic inserted a laryngoscopic blade into Monk's mouth and placed the tubing. He then attached the resuscitation bag and stepped out of the way so that chest compressions could begin again.

In a steady rhythm the EMT counted off as he pressed down on Adrian's chest at 100 beats per minute. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11..."

When he reached 30, the lead technician asked him to stop.

"Check pulse." he ordered, observing his subordinate as he felt along Monk's neck, then wrist.

"Nothing sir." the EMT who had been performing the compressions said.

"Alright – again" he said, with a look of concern.

By this point Julie was beginning to become hysterical. Unfortunately, Natalie could not both try to calm her daughter and keep an eye on Adrian; and frankly, she was not in much better shape herself. So, Captain Disher took over and tried as best he could to be the moral support that Julie needed, while Natalie softly sobbed into Leland's shoulder, fearful of what news might come.

* * *

For the longest time, they watched the spectacle…30 seconds, check pulse, 30 seconds again.

The EMT continued to try to talk to Monk to encourage him to rouse. "Come on, Adrian. Come back, man. You don't want to go out like this. Not with your family watching. They need you. Come on back."

After ten minutes, there had still been no improvement, so the lead paramedic came forward with an electronic defibrillator and set it down near where Monk laid. After coating it gel, the tech raised his voice and ordered everyone to step back.

"Alright. Everyone, clear!" he said, before placing the paddles on Monk's chest. An assistant pressed a button, and the defibrillator sounded a beep. Monk's body jumped. All medical personnel stood for a moment while the defibrillator repeated the same instructions twice. "_Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm. Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm_." After a few moments of silence, the voice in the machine directed "_Check pulse. If no pulse, commence CPR_."

Leland looked on with hopeful concern, but Natalie's body shook as she waited for news that the treatment had been successful. But, when the paramedic looked up to the EMT with a grim face, shaking his head, their hopes were all but shattered.

While the defib machine recharged, and the EMT began again, Leland consoled Natalie, all the while watching the scene quietly with a sense of foreboding. Julie buried her head in Natalie's side, her arms around her mother's waist and Randy placed his hand around Julie's shoulder.

* * *

Another ten minutes passed. The EMT was becoming visibly fatigued.

The tech ordered the all clear a second time, and a for a second time, the friends waited. The shock. the jolt. And the wait. After the prescribed waiting period, the paramedic again checked for a pulse.

"Anything?" the tech asked.

"Nothing." the paramedic replied quietly.

"Alright, keep working." the tech ordered. "Stay with us Mr. Monk. You have a lot of people who love you and don't want you to go. So, hang in there."

Natalie began to sob at those words, her body convulsing under the crushing burden of impending loss.

Leland tried as best as he could to bring her comfort; but, at this point, how could he? He was watching the same scene she was and was now sensing, as she was, that his closest friend of 30 years was slipping away. Leland Stottlemeyer was as tough as they come, but even he was feeling heartbroken at what he believed was the end.

* * *

Ten more minutes passed, and the EMT was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Everyone clear!" The tech ordered for a third time. The EMT sat back and was handed a bottle of water. Summit Creek. Monk would have liked that.

And, for a third time, the friends huddled together. The paddles were place, the button was pressed, the beep, and the spasm. And then, the pulse check. Again, there was nothing.

By now, Julie was inconsolable, shaking badly and mumbling under her breath that this was her fault. Randy tried to tell her it wasn't, but it was as if he wasn't there.

Natalie had grown very quiet, just staring at the scene as the EMTs worked, trying to remain calm both for Julie's sake and because she knew if expressed what she was feeling that she would completely fall apart. She had to stay strong.

* * *

Thirty-eight minutes into the ordeal, the heroic EMT was slowing down. Determined to keep going, he kept talking to Monk and trying to get him to revive. An older paramedic walked up to the technician and shook his head.

"He's been down too long. We need to call it." He said.

Hearing these words, Natalie's silence was broken. "NO!" she screamed, breaking away from Leland's grasp and running to Adrian's side.

Leland stood up and walked forward as two technicians tried to drag her away from the scene through sobs and wails.

"Noooo! He can't die! I can't lose him! You have to keep trying! Please! Don't let him die! Oh, GOD! Please. Please…don't let him die!" she said, collapsing to the ground.

By this point, even Stottlemeyer's tears were flowing as he placed his arms around her and tried to console her the best he could.

"Leland…he…he can't die! They can't quit on him. Please…tell them to keep going!" she said in between sobs.

Leland was emotionally spent and looked up at the older paramedic. "Can't..can't you guys keep going for a while?"

An EMT spoke up as well. "Yeah, Ernie. The guy's kid is here. Can't we at least try? We don't have to call it now."

The man he called Ernie resisted. "Listen, I've been doing this for thirty years. He's been out, what…almost 40 minutes now? Face it…he's gone."

Natalie began to cry harder and Julie turned to Randy. "Oh, Captain Disher! Please don't let them stop!"

Randy looked at Julie and then stood up.

"Just one more try." Trying to come up with a good reason, he said the first thing that came to mind. "Hey…it's Adrian Monk. He likes even numbers. You've only shocked him three times. Maybe he'll come to on number four."

Leland felt like telling Randy he was being stupid, but something in him just couldn't. However unlikely it was, it was a glimmer of hope – and they needed all they could get.

The paramedic rolled his eyes. "All right. Just one more though and if that doesn't work, we call it. Can't stay out here forever."

* * *

The technician prepared the paddles and the EMT stopped compressions and stepped back.

With a look of sympathy, the technician looked up at Julie, then Natalie, then Leland and Randy. He swallowed and then said a silent prayer. "Okay. Everyone clear." He said softly, placing the paddles on Monk's chest.

The button was pressed, the beep sounded, the body jumped, and the technician stepped back.

"_Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm. Do not touch patient. Analyzing rhythm_."

There was complete silence as every eye turned reverently towards the scene. "_Check pulse. If no pulse, commence CPR_."

The paramedic stepped forward and placed his fingers on the side of Adrian's neck. He remained silent. The weary eyes of the EMT looked up towards him hoping that this time, they would have a different result. The paramedic kept his fingers on Adrian's neck, and his eyes shifted blankly to the left. After a few moments, he looked up to the older paramedic and nodded at him, asking the older paramedic, who had a stethoscope, to come forward.

The man walked up to Adrian and placed the instrument on his chest and listened quietly. Adrian's friends stopped everything they were doing and waited anxiously for the word.

After a few moments, one paramedic looked at the other and smiled, then turned to the technician.

"We have a pulse. Let's get going. We need to get this man to the hospital!" he said, as the medical team scurried into action.

* * *

The EMT who worked on Adrian for so long sat down on the ground and began to cry, tears of joy. Looking over at Adrian's friends he smiled. "You did good! You didn't let us quit! Thank you!"

Natalie's sobs became a torrent of tears and she grabbed onto Leland, giving him a happy kiss on the cheek. She repeated the same with Julie and Randy, but when Randy began to move towards Leland with open arms, the commander simply raised an eyebrow and stuck out his hand. The two stopped and then laughed, patting each other on the shoulder and saying they needed to get going.

From just outside the ambulance, they could hear "Strong pulse sir, air control is restored."

"Great! Let's get him onboard and to the trauma center!" was the response.

* * *

Monk's head was already in a cervical collar, and the technician in charge was concerned about the damage that he was seeing from the waist down. Leland, Natalie, Randy and Julie could all hear the words "spinal cord injury" and "internal bleeding" as they watched three EMTs transfer Monk's broken body onto the ambulance.

As they watched the Ambulance leave the parking lot, the fire chief walked up to them and updated them on their plans.

"They are taking him to San Francisco General where he will very likely need surgery. Do any of you know who is his emergency consent for said procedures?"

Leland raised his hand, "I am. I have been ever since his late wife Trudy passed away. Please, do whatever you can to help him."

"Okay, Commander Stottlemeyer I will relay that message. They will need you to sign some papers at the hospital, of course." the chief said, beginning to turn away.

"Of course." Leland replied.

As EMTs were helping Julie up onto a gurney, Randy tried to make some small talk by asking why she and Adrian were at the jeweler in the first place.

"Yes! Why were you here? I thought you were going to pick up a cell phone." Natalie asked.

Julie began to cry."Mom. I'm sorry that we lied. It was supposed to be a surprise. He bought you a watch," Julie blurted out through her tears. "That's why we were there, Mom, 'cause he wanted to get you a present. He wanted my help. I don't - I dont know why. He designed it himself. He was so proud of it. It had exactly 10 diamonds." Julie cried into her mother's embrace. "And now he's paralyzed because of me."

"We dont know he's paralyzed, Julie," Leland tried to comfort her.

At the same time Randy said, "Diamonds? That's extravagant."

Leland threw Randy a look, warning him to say no more.

Natalie wiped her eyes, emotionally drained from worry about her daughter and Mr. Monk. She was perplexed. "It's not my birthday or Christmas."

Leland shrugged and gave Julie a careful hug.

"Who knows. It's Monk. I'm sure we'll find out later what this is all about." Randy said before motioning for Leland to come with him.

Leland looked at Natalie and Julie. "We'll see you ladies there. Right after I sign whatever it is that they want me to sign." He said, knowing he would sign anything they asked him to sign, consent to any surgery that would save Adrian Monk's life and, if possible, make it so that he regained the sensation in his legs.

* * *

Nurses were waiting for Stottlemeyer and Disher as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Leland was taken to a secluded area to speak to the team of specialists that were working on Monk, and Randy was taken to a trauma room where Natalie immediately flew into his surprised arms for a much-needed hug.

Julie's condition had concerned the paramedics enough in the ambulance that they immediately took her to a trauma room for observation. Though physically she was remarkably healthy, aside from her ankle injury and some bruises and scrapes, it was her emotional state that had doctors concerned. She was prescribed a strong sedative for the evening, just to calm her nerves, and was soon sleeping soundly. All she said in the ambulance, Natalie told Randy, was how this was her fault and how Mr. Monk had hurt himself trying to keep her safe.

* * *

As Leland read through all the paperwork he was being required to sign, hospital personnel quickly moved Monk back to radiology where a full assessment could be made of his condition. His blood pressure had remained steady throughout the ride to the hospital, so they felt reasonably certain that internal bleeding was the least of their worries. This left his spinal structure as their next highest concern. Their first course of action would be to determine what damage, if any, had been done to his spinal cord and then to review their options on a course of treatment.

* * *

After giving consent, Leland joined Natalie and Randy in the trauma room, awaiting news of their friend. Natalie could not stand still, worrying about Adrian, not knowing if he would live or die. It was a simple case of wrong place, wrong time, but she couldn't help but feel bad that he and Julie had been placed in danger trying to get a gift for her. She knew the guilt she felt over this fact was irrational, but she also knew rationality was being overruled by other feelings she had long tried to suppress.

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed when the attendant at the information desk called the friends forward.

"Family of Adrian Monk." she announced, and it was true. These three friends were indeed Adrian's family, just as much as if they had been blood relatives. They walked forward to the desk.

"We're here with Adrian Monk." Natalie said.

"You his wife?" asked the attendant. This was a question she had been asked several times before and had always been able to shrug off. For some reason, however, this time it caused her to blush.

"Um, no. We're not married. I'm his..."

"Significant other." Randy interjected, knowing that the hospital would be much more apt to talk to her if they believed that she and Adrian were close, than if she had just said her typical 'friend' or 'employee.'

"Okay then. Dr. Werner is back in the consultation room and would like to speak with you. Are these gentlemen family?"

Natalie looked at Leland and Randy. "Yes. They are." They smiled.

"Fine. Room 102. Down the hall and to your left." the attendant replied.

* * *

The consultation room was very small, but it didn't need to be big for its purpose. It had four chairs in it, a table, a lighted board and a computer with monitor. They walked into the room and each took seats awaiting the doctor. Three minutes after they sat down, a man in scrubs moved quickly into the room.

"You all are here with Adrian Monk?" he asked.

"We are." said Leland. "How's he doing?"

The doctor put down some paperwork and walked over to the computer, typing in some information, and then bringing an image up on the flat screen monitor which hung on the wall.

"Mr. Monk is stable, and is being prepped for surgery right now. I wanted to show you all what we believe is going on and alert you to the risks involved in what we are about to do."

"Alright." Leland said, putting his hand over Natalie's anxious arm.

"We knew when he came in here that we were dealing with multiple fractures, internal bleeding and possible spinal cord trauma, so we figured it was going to be a challenge. The fact that he coded for so long out at the site was also of great concern. After an evaluation, I am happy to say that we do have good news in several areas.

First, in terms of internal bleeding, it appears that Mr. Monk suffered a pulmonary contusion, or bruised lung, when the blast first went off. This caused some pooling of blood, which you saw coming from his mouth and nose. His own body kicked in and has slowed the bleeding to the point that we do not believe it will be an issue. We will keep a careful watch on it, but it should heal on its own in a few weeks.

We'll know when he wakes up about his brain function, but they kept pumping air into his lungs so I think we _should_ be okay.

Next, we evaluated him for any broken bones. He quite obviously has a complex break to the right arm, a broken pelvis, broken left femur, a small crack in his tibia. All of these can be set, and, depending on the extent of the break may or may not need reinforcement in the form of plates, screws, and the like.

Which leads us to the area where we had the most concern coming in here. When the field reps tested Mr. Monk for sensation in his legs and feet, they got no response. Of course, he was laying on the floor covered in concrete below the waist, so we thought it could be that, so we retested him once he arrived. We are still receiving a diminished response when that area is tested." Pulling up an image on the screen he continue. "We did an MRI of his lower lumbar area to check for damage in his spine and to the spinal cord itself. If you look at this section here, there is a fracture of his 4th lumbar vertebrae which is causing some significant misalignment. This misalignment dislocated that part of the lumbar spine which, as you can see from the narrowing right here, is compressing his spinal cord. We believe that this is what is choking off sensation in his lower extremities."

"Is this a treatable condition?" Leland asked.

"Yes." The doctor responded. "If there were no fracture, the dislocation could possibly have been treated through non-surgical means and the use of a special back brace. However, because of the fracture, and the instability it is causing to his spine, we are prepping him now to go into surgery for a relatively new procedure called kyphoplasty. We will make small incisions here, and here and basically position this instrument inside the 4th vertebrae. Attached to the instrument is something akin to a balloon. We inflate this balloon into the area and then inject it with a strengthening cement which will restore the disc back to its normal height and alignment. There are typical risks associated with any surgery, but this is one of the least invasive processes and my patients have generally tolerated it well." the doctor said.

"Will he be able...will this restore lost function? Will he be able to walk and do what he normally could do?" asked Natalie.

Dr. Werner nodded. "That is our hope. We don't see any severing of the spinal cord or any other damage than this one area. He would have to go through extensive therapy anyway, and will probably have to relearn walking etc., because of the leg and pelvic breaks. We're looking at placing him a unilateral spica cast for around 12 weeks - followed by PT. The cast will stretch from right above his waist all the way to his ankle."

"Well, he's going to love that." Randy said.

"Can Natalie and I take vacation now?" Leland joked.

"While uncomfortable, the cast will help hold the bones stable as everything heals. Barring any complications, he should be able to begin general therapy in a few days, and full physical therapy in about 3 months. It may take anywhere from four months up to a year or more for him to fully heal though." Werner replied.

"But you think he will be okay?" Natalie asked.

"I'm cautiously optimistic. Mr. Monk has been through a lot. He's still not out of the woods. But, I sense he's fighting. There is something going on that is giving him the will to survive. Now, if you'll excuse me, he should be ready to undergo the procedure around now, so I need to go get scrubbed up and get busy. We will let you know when he is out of surgery."

"Thank you, Doctor." Natalie said.


	7. The Verdict

Randy broke the silence by asking Leland and Natalie if they'd understood anything the doctor had just told them.

Natalie began to cry, resting her arms on the table and hiding her face in her hands.

Leland narrowed his eyes at Randy and shook his head, as if to say "_you moron"_.

"Natalie, don't cry." Stottlemeyer said. "Listen. The important thing is, the doctors who are working on Monk are all highly trained specialists and they apparently have faith that he'll be able to walk again. I don't see where we have any reason to question that opinion. We just need to trust that they know what they're doing."

"I know, Leland. I'm just scared for him." she cried.

Leland walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know you are. We all are. But, he's where he's where he can receive the treatment he needs, and he's in good hands."

* * *

A short while later, a nurse came in and directed them to a nicer room where they could wait for updates on Monk's condition. It was more comfortable, the nurse promised, and there was more room to stretch out. Natalie didn't care about comfort. She only cared about how Mr. Monk was doing.

She allowed Leland and Randy to lead her down the hall and through a corridor and into the room. She hardly noticed the plush sofas and chairs and would have missed the couch cushion entirely if Leland hadn't physically taken her by the hand and helped her to sit.

Dr. Werner hadn't been able to give them a definite determination on how long the surgery would last or even when they could expect to hear anything in the form of updates, not that it mattered. Leland and Randy had already made calls home to T.K. and Sharona; and, they were going to stay as long as it took. They truly were Monk's family.

* * *

Four hours stretched into five, and Natalie watched as every half-hour Leland went to the farthest corner of the waiting room and barked angrily into his cell phone, paying no attention to the "_NO CELL PHONES IN WAITING ROOM_" sign.

Most of this time, he was on the phone with the SFPD demanding that the two assailants that witnesses said had escaped, be captured so that they could be charged with robbery, multiple counts of murder, attempted murder of a police officer (Monk's status as no longer a police officer, notwithstanding) and anything else Leland would think up later.

He'd only just sat back down beside Natalie on the couch, when Randy had a revelation. "Commander, you're my boss and you never bought me a watch with diamonds."

Leland stretched and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, tossing Randy a candy bar and offering Natalie one as well. He was tired both physically and emotionally, frustrated with the lack of progress in the case, anxious over the lack of information on Monk's condition, and had just gotten finished with a painful phone call with Monk's brother Ambrose because Natalie was hardly in the condition to remember to call him. On top of this, none of them had eaten anything since that morning, so he was definitely not in the mood for such questions.

"Randy, why on God's green earth would I buy you a watch with diamonds?!"

"Oh, I don't know." Randy said. "Monk's Natalie's boss and he bought her a nice watch with diamonds."

The commander sighed and looked over at Randy. "That's different. And besides, that's Natalie and Monk's business. She can ask him about it when he wakes up. Maybe it'll give him something to focus on so he won't throw a tantrum about his cast."

Both men were surprised when, at that, Natalie snorted a very un-ladylike snort. It was the closest thing to laughter or any kind of happiness Leland had heard from her ever since she'd shown up at the explosion site. He was happy to hear it and Randy looked quite pleased with himself.

"Is something funny?" Stottlemeyer asked.

"Have you met Mr. Monk, Leland?" she asked, smirking.

The commander gave a slight grin and rolled his eyes. He then motioned towards her still unopened candy bar and told her to eat.

"Monk would want you to have something to eat, and so would Julie. For that matter, so would I and Randy. That's an order, from two police officers." he said.

Natalie only rolled her eyes back at him, but she left the food untouched.

"I'm sorry. I'm just too nervous to eat a thing. I would be willing to drink a soft drink if someone has the change to buy one." she replied.

Stottlemeyer looked over at Disher and nodded.

"Randy, go to the machine and bring back a soda." he said.

Randy began fishing through his pockets and turned them inside out. They were empty. Randy shrugged. So, Stottlemeyer shook his head and reached into his pocket for the appropriate change and handed it to Disher, who then went to the vending machine to purchase a soft drink.

When he returned, he tried handing the soda first to Leland until Leland gave him a look. "Not to me, to her!" he exclaimed.

Randy walked over and handed the drink to Natalie. She had just opened the bottle and was about to take a swig when she was interrupted by the presence of two nurses entering the waiting room. All conversation stopped immediately. Natalie dropped the bottle, spilling it all over the carpet.

"Yes?!" Natalie asked eagerly. "Is he out of surgery? Can we see him?"

"Ms Teeger, your daughter asked us to come find you. She's had a bad nightmare and it's upsetting her blood pressure. She's refusing any more medication until she finds you and hears information about a_ Mr. Monk_."

Natalie stood up and rushed out of the room without so much as a thank you to Leland and Randy. If there was anything to report on Mr. Monk when he got out of surgery, they'd find her. She didn't hear the other nurse's hushed and somber voice telling Stottlemeyer that she had an update on Monk.

While Randy cleaned up the spilled drink, Leland walked over to the nurse to hear the latest.

"They are just finishing up with Mr. Monk and he is stable. For most of the surgery, he did well." the nurse said.

"Most of?" Leland asked.

"Yes. I'll have to let the doctor tell you more. He should be out here as soon as they take Mr. Monk back to recovery. Just know, he's doing okay now, and in a little while I think that the two of you and Ms. Teeger should be able to see him briefly in the ICU. But, only briefly."

"Thank you for the update." Leland replied.

* * *

It was another hour before the surgeon stopped by the waiting room to update Commander Stottlemeyer and Captain Disher. Monk was out of surgery and currently was resting in recovery. He filled him in on several other things that had occurred during the surgery and let him know that in another half hour to an hour, Monk should be situated in the ICU and his 'family' could come see him.

Leland paused for just a moment after the doctor left, considering what needed to happen as he took charge in the situation.

"Call Ambrose and tell him Monk's out of surgery," he told Randy. He wouldn't say much more, though. "I'll go get Natalie."

Up until that point, Leland let Natalie stay with Julie, figuring they were only one floor away and she could just as easily wait with Julie as she could with them. Her place was with her daughter and if Julie was having bad dreams, he didn't want her to wake up in an unfamiliar hospital alone. Julie had become something of a surrogate niece to him and Randy over the years, and it struck him in that moment at how close this unit of friends had become.

* * *

Leland took the elevator to the floor below, the main emergency room wing, and flashed his police badge at the first nurse he found, asking her to tell him where Julie Teeger's room was. The nurse pointed down the hall and around the corner "Room 149." she said.

It took but a minute to arrive at his destination.

Leland tapped lightly the door, assuming Julie and possibly even Natalie were asleep; but as soon as the two women heard the knock, they looked up at him expectantly.

"Commander Stottlemeyer, is Mr. Monk alive?" were the first and only words out of Julie's mouth. Both Natalie and Julie were looking at him like their entire world depended on his answer.

"Yes. Julie. He's alive. Monk's been out of surgery for a little under an hour and they have him in ICU. They have him on enough medication to make him comfortable and it might be awhile until he wakes up. The surgeon thinks the surgery went well and they did some initial testing that's showing increased electrical activity in his spine and legs. They say that's a positive sign that full functionality can be restored and he won't be paralyzed."

Julie immediately burst into tears. Natalie held her daughter close and turned to Leland and mouthed a grateful _thank you. _

Leland grinned and held up his hands as if to say, he didn't do anything, it was all the doctors and Monk.

"How are you doing, Julie?" he asked, hoping to distract her from the flurry of emotions she was feeling concerning Monk and the events of the day.

Julie sobbed out an answer. "I...I'm okay. The doctor said that I can probably go home tonight. I didn't want to go anywhere without knowing that Mr. Monk was going to be okay."

"Can we see him? Even for a minute or two?" Natalie asked quietly, her voice quivering.

Leland nodded. "They'll only let us stay for ten minutes. The nurses need your permission to let Randy and I come with you, on account of you being _his girlfriend_ and all," he gently teased her. Natalie blushed and Julie looked momentarily confused. "There's something else you need to know but I can tell you on the way."

Julie got quiet and looked down at her hospital sheets, balling the sides into her fist. "Something's wrong with him and you're only going to tell Mom when she's out of my room because you don't want me to know that I did something bad."

Leland felt awful and wanted to fix this immediately. "Julie, no. Kiddo, there's nothing wrong. I promise Monk is asleep and comfortable in intensive care. You have my word. I just need to talk to your mom about something else. Everything is okay. I promise."

Julie didn't look convinced, but Natalie promised her she'd tell Mr. Monk that she was thinking about him and that she'd come back to tell Julie everything. She tenderly kissed her worried daughter's forehead and told her to try and go back to sleep, she'd be back soon.

* * *

Natalie waited until they were down the hall and on the elevator headed for Intensive Care before smacking Leland Stottlemeyer in the shoulder none-too-gently. She seemed satisfied when he looked at her like it had actually hurt. "That's for scaring my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Natalie, I wasn't thinking." Leland rubbed his shoulder. He then became very serious.

"There are two things you need to know before we get in there." he said.

Natalie hugged her arms around herself in what Leland could only describe as a self-preservation gesture. "I don't like that tone your voice has." she responded.

"Well, first of all, before you get too excited by what I'm going to say, I want to let you know they were able to bring him back and they don't think there's any permanent damage done."

"Bring him back? Leland, what happened?" she asked.

"He coded again. Twice. But he responded immediately."

"Oh, Leland! No!" she said.

"I know, Natalie. It's a lot to take in." he said, as he led her off the elevator when it reached their floor and they turned down the hall towards ICU. His hand never left her shoulder. "He's fighting and he's here, that's the important part. The second part is what they really wanted us to know. They told me that the electrical impulses in his nerves are showing improvement and that's good, but an unfortunate side effect of nerves waking up is, it will likely exaggerate any pain he might feel. They have him on heavy-duty pain medication to keep him comfortable. I told the doctor about Monk's low tolerance for intoxicants and they made note of it in his file to only give him as much as he needs. I'm only telling you this to warn you he might be a little out of it when he does wake up."

Natalie sniffled, but nodded and remained strong. She could handle that. "Did they - did they fix everything? He won't need more surgeries, right?"

"They did the back surgery. That went well. He's also now the brand new recipient of some plates and screws that will help hold his hip and pelvis in place while it heals. The femur and the tibia, they said, will have to wait until he's stronger. He's still much too weak to be in surgery for as long as it would take to fix all of it at once. They have him in a temporary cast right now from the waist down and he's comfortable."

He went down the list of everything the doctor had told him, hoping he'd explained it all correctly to Natalie, as they made their way back towards the familiar waiting area and then Monk's room. Leland couldn't find Randy, but he could catch him up later. "Are you ready to see him?"

Natalie took a deep breath and nodded at Leland. He would be with her. She was ready.

* * *

She wasn't ready. Tears streamed down her cheeks as soon as she saw him. He was covered in a temporary cast up to his chest, which was covered loosely by a hospital gown. Tubes and wires surrounded him and the sights and sounds of medical equipment and his steady, machine-assisted breathing filled the air. The tubes and wires were criss-crossed and not in an orderly fashion. Mr. Monk would hate this.

"Adrian," she breathed, using his first name for one of the first times in front of Leland, but she didn't care. She walked to his bedside, Leland right next to her for moral support, and very carefully reached for his hand and held it between both of her own. It was apparent by his expression that the medication was doing its job, for Monk's face showed no sign of pain or distress at all. To the contrary. He looked peaceful.

"It's Natalie, Mr. Monk. I'm here, don't you worry. I'm right here. When you wake up I'll tell you all about how brave you were when you saved Julie's life." she said, as tears flowed down her face.

Natalie stood there and held his hand and talked to him quietly and hardly noticed when Randy was there and showed up at Leland's other side. "How's he doing?" Randy asked.

"Holding his own. He made it through the first part," Leland said quietly, taking a step back out of consideration for Natalie. He motioned for Randy to step back as well and to lower their voices. "Did you hear anything from the precinct?"

Randy nodded, glancing over towards Natalie and Monk. "Yes. That's what I came in here to tell you. They tracked one of the robbers down to Folsom Street and took him into custody. Sounds like he's talking." Randy replied.

Leland's reply was terse and full of fury. "I want more than talking. I want justice. Tell them to keep on that S.O.B. until he leads us to the other one so they can both pay for what they've done."

* * *

The nurse in charge arrived at exactly the ten-minute mark and instructed them to leave. They could come back in the morning.

Natalie immediately balked at that plan and said she'd sleep in the waiting room, but Leland told Natalie _no_ before she'd even finished her sentence. He said that he would be the one to stay and that Randy would take her and Julie home. Since he was Monk's medical proxy, it made more sense for him to stay. He put his hands on her shoulders and promised her that if anything happened she would be his first call. But she needed to go home with Julie.

Julie had a walking boot for the hairline fracture in her ankle and some pain medication to take during the rest of the night if she needed it. Natalie was concerned about the traumatic effect the day had already had on her daughter and made a note to speak with Dr. Bell and see who he might recommend; but, for now she would watch Julie closely. Julie ended up sleeping with Natalie in her bed that night. It took Natalie longer to fall asleep but she finally dozed off somewhere between midnight and one in the morning, safe in the knowledge that Mr. Monk was sleeping well and had multiple doctors watching over him, and even Leland within some feet away.

* * *

Natalie's rest was broken when she received a call on her home phone around six in the morning. When she heard Leland's terse voice, her heart sank.

"What? What has happened?" she asked with alarm. Julie immediately sat up in bed.

"What's wrong with Mr. Monk?" she asked.

"Monk's awake." Leland said.

"He's awake, already?" Natalie said excitedly.

"Yes. He woke up about twenty minutes ago. Listen. The hospital staff asked me to call you because, well...they need his girlfriend to come back down here and try to get him to calm down. Ever since he woke up he has been very agitated. He's terrorizing the staff." Leland explained.

"Can't they give him some more medication to calm him?" she asked.

"They said they don't want to have to do that. Something about his blood pressure. Anyway, I can send Randy or you can catch a cab, but we need you back down here. Sorry for waking you up." he said.

"Don't worry about that. I'll be right down." she replied.

* * *

Natalie asked her next-door neighbor to check on Julie later on, and was back at San Francisco General in thirty minutes. Leland was waiting for her at the elevator to the ICU and they quickly went back to Monk's room. Leland had to react fast to dodge the bedpan that had flown out the door and hit the wall behind him.

Two male nurses were attempting to tie Monk down while Monk was screaming for someone to get them off of him. Monk was red and writhing in anger, his arm bleeding from where he had ripped out his own IV and his face covered with perspiration. The sheets were torn off his bed and strewn on the floor.

"Don't hurt him!" Natalie screamed. She didn't know what was going on. She and Leland had seen Monk in a lot of situations before, and seen a lot of different reactions from him, but they'd never seen him like this. Natalie shrank back towards Leland and began to cry. "Leland! Do something!"

Leland went to Monk's side, pushing past the nurses. "Stop," he barked. He purposefully got quieter when he attempted to talk to Monk. "Hey, buddy, we're here to see you. Me and Natalie."

Monk looked at Leland and then over at Natalie. Natalie was happy to see a glimmer of recognition of who they were, but his eyes were still frantic and wild and he looked petrified. "You have to save me! They are torturing me! They want to hurt me."

"Monk, they aren't trying to hurt you," Leland said quietly. "They're here to help you. You just need to calm down, buddy, and let them do their job. It'll be alright."

Monk looked at Leland with hurt in his eyes. "How could you side...with them?" he asked, then turned his eyes pleadingly towards Natalie. His heart-rate was getting faster and he was looking at her like he was a wounded animal. "Natalie, _Please_ _Help me_. We..we need to get out of here."

Something about the way he said it absolutely crushed Natalie inside.

She took a seat on the side of his bed near his waist, reaching forward and touching his cheek. "We will. We're going to get you out of here as soon as we can." Natalie ran her fingers across the back of his hand. "Just calm down and rest. Please do that for Leland and me. Please?"

"I can't! Don't you understand? I don't know what they did to me. I can barely move. They might come after you. We have to get out of here!" he said, looking around the room frantically as if he were looking for a place to exit.

Natalie took his left hand, his uninjured one, and held it firm in between both of hers, rubbing it gently, and she leaned in closely to him and spoke soothingly. "I won't let them hurt you, Mr. Monk, I promise. I'll stay here the whole time. It'll be alright. Just rest now. It's going to be okay. Just rest."

She continued to hold his hand with her left hand and then stroked his forehead with her right. "Shhhhh...just rest. I'm right here. It'll be alright." The effect was immediate. He looked up at her and the fearful gaze diminished. As he studied her gentle reassuring face, his breathing slowed down, and he started to close his eyes. He pulled her hand up so that while he was holding it, the back of her hand rested against his chest. She could feel his heart beating strongly inside the hospital gown.

"Promise you won't leave me?" he whispered. "I don't want them to hurt you."

Natalie glanced at Leland with a worried expression and looked back at Monk.

"I promise, Mr. Monk. Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up."


	8. The Promise

After sleeping for several hours, Monk woke up with an unfamiliar ventilator tube in his throat preventing him from speaking, pain that radiated from everywhere in his body and no recollection of what had happened just a few hours before. His arms and legs were tied down to the bedframe to keep him from tearing out the ventilator tubing again, and all of the monitors and IV fluids had been restored. He listened to the sound of the equipment and tried to get his bearings.

His eyes tracked the room frantically and he saw Natalie asleep in a chair next to his bed, her head resting on his mattress and her hand touching his. Turning his head, he noticed Leland was asleep in a chair on the opposite side of the room. Snippets and flashes of yesterday flickered in his brain. Natalie's watch. The store. The explosion. The collapse. Julie.

_Julie! Why was Natalie here with him if her daughter was hurt? Surely, he wasn't as important to Natalie as her child was. Julie was probably in another room. Natalie wouldn't have stayed here just for him, but she would have stayed for Julie. Julie must be so hurt that her mother couldn't visit her. Oh no! Natalie wouldn't forgive him. Why had he insisted Julie come along to the store? Why had he...?_

Adrian pulled his hand from Natalie's and the movement jostled his mangled body to such an extent that the pain shot through him like a lightning bolt, raising his discomfort level tenfold. He instinctively wanted to call for Natalie, but the ventilator wouldn't allow it. He needed to get to her. He needed to get to Julie. He needed Natalie to help him. He needed Natalie for everything.

* * *

A short while later, Leland and Natalie opened their eyes to an extremely agitated and terrified Adrian Monk. Both of them hurried to soothe him. Leland furtively pressed the button at Monk's bedside to increase his pain medication while Natalie immediately moved to where he could see her. She grabbed his hand again and held it tight. "Mr. Monk.." He looked around with fear and pain in his eyes. "Mr. Monk! Adrian, look at me, please! I'm here, Leland's here, you're safe. You're in the hospital and you're safe. There is a tube in your throat to help you breathe and that's why you can't talk. Do you understand me?" Leland had already left the room in search of the on-call doctor but she hardly noticed.

He turned his eyes to her and focused, looking at her intently, trying to communicate to her with his eyes.

"What is it, Mr. Monk? What do you need?" she asked.

He looked concerned and tried his very best to speak, but of course Natalie was right and he couldn't.

He raised his good hand and made a "J" symbol with his fingers.

"J...J...Julie?" she guessed and he nodded, knowing now how concerned he must have been about her daughter.

Her hand still held his. "Julie is fine. Thanks to you, Mr. Monk. She's home resting. Listen. I'll tell you anything you want to know and so will Leland but you have to relax, all right? The doctors told the commander that you are still extremely fragile, medically, and none of us want to hurt you more than you already are. I'm here. I'm not going to leave you, _no matter what you might do or say_."

Her last comment was confusing to him, but he couldn't focus on that right then. His eyes flickered from his hand entwined with Natalie's, to the room, to the other chair where Natalie's purse sat. His wipes were in that purse and he needed a lot of those; but, she also kept a notebook in there. If he could get her to bring it to him, maybe she could help him write down that he needed her help. He did his best to motion to the purse but regretted it when the resulting attempts made the pain worse and the scream in his head came out as a strangled moan against the ventilator tube. Natalie's worried face floated above his head again and she was at his side. "Mr. Monk, let us help you if you're in pain."

He wouldn't let go of her hand and she could tell by the look in his eyes that yes, he was in a lot of pain. The doctor had warned them that he would likely stay in a lot of pain.

In spite of that warning, Natalie took it as her personal duty to prove the doctor wrong. The minute Leland came back, hopefully with medical help, Natalie would have a talk with him. Until then, she could push the button at Adrian's side to pump more medication into his system and she could hold his hand - talking to him quietly and smoothing his hair, much like she did for Julie when she was a little girl.

"I know you are hurting. I'm so sorry, Mr. Monk," she whispered. "We're going to fix everything, don't worry. I'm going to talk to your doctor and talk to him about your medications. Try and lie still for now. Just rest, and listen to my voice."

* * *

Leland finally returned with the doctor and the room was a frenzy of activity for the next few moments. The ventilation tube was removed from Adrian's throat, and Natalie immediately brought water to his lips to help him take his first sips, soothingly assuring him it was all right when he dribbled some water on the front of his hospital gown. Leland took Natalie's place at Monk's side while Natalie went to talk to the doctor. Adrian's eyes tracked her all the while as she left the room.

Natalie spoke quietly but firmly to the doctor that she was very much aware of Adrian Monk's aversion to medication, but that didn't mean she or Leland expected him to be in pain. Under no circumstances did she ever want to see a repeat of what she had been called to that morning. She was glad that they had discontinued the medication that he had such a bad reaction to and wanted it specified on Adrian's chart that he was not to be administered those specific medications in the future. The newer medication was better tolerated, but it wasn't seeming to do the trick. She would defer to the doctors' expertise on dosages and what medications were best for her - _boyfriend's_ recovery, but she wouldn't allow him to be in pain when it could be helped.

Leland soon poked his head outside the door and motioned for Natalie to come back inside, pushing her to the chair closest to Adrian. He spoke quietly in Natalie's ear that Monk had shown signs of agitation the moment Natalie left the room to the point that his heart rate increased on the monitors. Leland pointed Natalie to the machine to show her that Adrian's heart rate didn't return to normal levels until he saw her again.

"Why do you think he reacted that way?" she asked.

"Probably for two reasons." Stottlemeyer replied. "First, he depends on you for everything. He trusts you. And Second...you have a good effect on him. Somehow you can reach him when others, including myself, can't."

She pondered that thought, but said no more.

* * *

The next week was marked by two major developments in Adrian's medical situation. First, he was moved to a private room where he could rest a little better. And second, the doctors felt that he was now strong enough that he could tolerate having his femur and tibia reset and the more permanent body cast applied.

Whereas the first development gratified him, particularly since it meant that he would be isolated from the sights, sounds and especially the germs of seriously ill patients in the hospital's ICU; the second development frightened him beyond words.

* * *

Natalie had only been gone from the room for fifteen minutes to get herself some breakfast from the cafeteria when she found herself racing back to Monk's room after having heard a ruckus coming from that direction from down hall.

As she entered the room, she saw Adrian was slapping away a man, she assumed was a nurse, with his one good arm.

"Settle down, Mr. Monk," the man said. "You know this is something we have to do ,and it will be over as quick as you can say 'boo'. Hey, that rhymed." he laughed.

"I don't say boo. Not ever. Where's Natalie? I…I need Natalie. Please get me Natalie."

Natalie gritted her teeth at the nurse's dumb joke and immediately set down her food and wallet on the counter. She was at Monk's side in a second, and glared at the nurse.

"I'm here, Mr. Monk, I'm here. I just went to get food and now I'm back. What's wrong?"

He was panicked. "They want to hurt me, Natalie."

"What? Who wants to hurt you, Mr. Monk?"

"Him," he said, pointing at the nurse. "The hospital staff and him. They want to take me away from you and set my leg and put me in a permanent one of these torture suits." He replied.

Natalie sighed, but modulated her voice to sound soothing. "Mr. Monk, you knew all along that they were going to have to do that. They have to set your leg or you won't heal right and you might not even be able to walk. Now is that what you want?" she asked.

His brown eyes filled with tears. "Natalie. I…I'm afraid."

Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his. "I know you are. And if I could do anything whatsoever to make this better for you, I would. But you know that I wouldn't tell you to let them do something if I ultimately felt it was going to harm you. It might hurt a little, but we've gotten your pain management somewhat tolerable now, haven't we?" she asked.

"Y…yes…" he replied.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

His lower lip quivered a little. "Yesssss…I trust you."

"Okay," she whispered softly in his ear. "Then I am telling you that even though this might be a little uncomfortable, ultimately you will not regret having done it. You need to do this to get well so that we can get you out of this torture suit and back to yourself again. Now...are you going to do it?"

Adrian laid there quietly, and she leaned forward, her face now about six inches away from his and her blue-green eyes looking directly into his fearful gaze. "Will you do it for me?" she asked softly, stroking his forehead.

Monk's eyes softened, and while there was still fright within them, there was also the deep respect and care that he had for this woman. He swallowed, and then sighed. Shaking his head yes, he whispered. "Yes, Natalie. I will do it for you."

He closed his eyes and a single tear flowed down his cheek. Natalie used her thumb to wipe it away and then kissed him on the forehead, running her fingers through his hair.

He looked up at her with total trust but also concern.

"Don't worry, Mr. Monk. I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here when you come out," she assured him. "The farthest I'm going to go is down the hall and that's only to call and check on Julie, but then I'll come right back here."

He closed his eyes and whispered, "Adrian."

"Excuse me?"

"Adrian," he answered. "Please...Call me Adrian."

Natalie mused on that thought for a moment and looked him in the eyes once again, placing her hand on his cheek. "I thought you didn't want me to call you Adrian."

"I changed my mind." he smiled.

She smiled back. "Okay... Adrian. I will be waiting for you when you get back. Don't worry. It won't be nearly as bad as you're thinking it will be."

"You promise?" he asked.

Natalie smiled and kissed him on the forehead once more. "I promise. And I always keep my promises."


	9. The Open Heart

It had been an hour since Adrian left with the nurses and, as he returned, Natalie could hear him complaining from all the way down the hall. She smiled in spite of herself, complaints meant he was feeling better.

"Carrreeeful around the turn!" she heard him screech, as the gurney rounded the corner and came into view in the room. "You don't want me to go splat on the floor."

"No, Mr, Monk, we _sure_ wouldn't want that." the technician said. Natalie stifled a laugh at the sarcasm in the technician's voice, sarcasm that was completely lost on Monk.

She looked up as soon as she heard them enter the room, patiently staying seated on the couch while the technician and another assistant transported Monk from the gurney to his hospital bed. Adrian kept his eyes on Natalie the whole time and as soon as the hospital staff left the room, she smiled and folded her hands in front of her face. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Adrian stared at her. He was the not-so-proud owner of a new cast, a blue one, that started at his left foot and ended three inches above his belly button. "Natalie. The cast is three inches above my belly button."

"Yes. And?" she asked.

"Couldn't they make it two inches or four inches? Why three?" he replied.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "I see your point. We'll be sure to tell the doctors about their mistake and they will take you back, cut that cast off, and re-cast you."

Adrian shook his head with an emphatic _no, _and she smirked. "I thought not." she said as he tried to get comfortable.

"Guess what happened while you were gone?"she asked.

"Can I handle it?" he asked.

She smiled and replied, "Oh, I think so. I have a surprise for you, Adrian."

"Natalie, you know I don't like surprises."

"I think you will like this surprise." She replied, as Monk folded his arms.

Immediately, they heard the sound of music playing from somewhere in the room.

The song that played was _The Chicken Dance, _and its tinny melody vaguely reminded him of the musical get well card Julie had bought him when she was twelve years old, when he was sick in bed. That card bothered him to no end to the degree that he ultimately threw it away, but it had ended up leading to the key piece of evidence to connect Reggie Dennison to the murder of the pizza boy Julio Alvarez. After receiving the card back from investigators, he ended up keeping the card and still had it all these years later. Natalie and Julie would be surprised if they knew.

"Julie Teeeeeger?" Adrian said with a knowing smile. At that, he heard a distinct laugh that wasn't Natalie's but which he knew quite well.

Natalie's daughter dropped the card onto the table and carefully took a seat on the edge of his bed, looking back at her mother to make sure she wasn't hurting him or crowding him.

It had been a week since the explosion and the only contact he'd had with her were a few phone calls prompted by Natalie. Julie never talked very much on those calls. It hurt his heart to think that she was possibly now afraid of him, since that was the only reason that he could think of as to why she had now become withdrawn when speaking with him.

"Julie! I'm very, _very_ happy to see you," he said earnestly.

Natalie smiled. "I told her you would be. She's been very worried about you, Mr. Mon...Adrian."

"And, I've been worried about her," he admitted. "How are you, Julie?"

Julie looked down and studied his bed sheets. "I…I'm doing okay, Mr. Monk," she said in a desperately quiet voice. "Not nearly as bad as you, though. I broke my ankle and I'm wearing a boot, but it's okay. Bones heal."

Julie picked up the card and hesitantly handed it to him. "I bought you this card," she said, trying to sound more cheerful but with an expression that betrayed a sense of nervousness. "I made it custom, just for you."

Adrian looked at Natalie and he knew she remembered his reaction to the last musical card Julie had bought him. But that was years ago, things were different now. Julie was eighteen instead of twelve. Surely her musical tastes had improved, and whatever song was attached to the card was better than _Polly Wolly Doodle_.

"Show me," he encouraged her, and she showed him the card she'd made.

The cover of the card was blue and showed a bandaged-up chicken that was using crutches. Julie opened the card and _The Chicken Dance_ song started to play; but, before he could get too distracted by the song she showed him the little inscription she'd written.

_Sorry about your leg and wing  
I hope they heal real fast  
You are my hero and here's the thing  
Like Dad, you are the best._

"Julie, I don't know what to say." He murmured, looking at the card and listening to the song that continued to play...over, and over, and over again. Adrian did his very best not to make a face in front of Julie. He looked to Natalie for help, and though there were tears in her eyes that she tried to blink back, she looked at Adrian with a look that told him in no uncertain terms that he'd better think up something more to say than that.

He thought for a moment. He _hated_ the song. Realistically, the analogy was completely inappropriate since chickens had webbed feet and couldn't use crutches. It was his _arm_ that was broken, not his wing. In fact, he didn't have a wing. The second and fourth lines of the poem were not perfect rhymes, and the meter was off. And...it was a card completely custom-made, _just for him_, by Julie.

"I love it." he said with a smile.

Natalie exhaled in relief and winked at him, letting him know that he did good. If he was having any other reservations about accepting the card, they were wiped away immediately by Julie's excited smile.

Not only did Julie smile at him, but she threw her arms around his chest and hugged him as carefully as she could. Her hair draped over his face as she leaned in and he had to move the hair out of his face with his uninjured hand, keeping both of his arms extended for several seconds in an uncomfortable and unnatural position. Natalie's daughter had hugged him in the past, but not like this or for this long before. But she wasn't moving and Adrian eventually sighed and gave in and relaxed as much as he could given the circumstances, tentatively returning the hug.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Monk. I am so, so, sorry! I understand if you don't want to talk to me any more." Julie cried. He could barely understand her because her face was pressed against his chest.

"Sorry? What do you have to be sorry about?" he asked.

"If I hadn't tried to run for the door, the bad guys wouldn't have tried to shoot me. You wouldn't have tried to save me and that bomb never would have exploded. You wouldn't have been hurt and all those people would still be alive." Julie started to cry.

Adrian took a deep breath and used his left hand to awkwardly pat Julie's hair. He had never been in this type of situation before and it unnerved him; but, it unnerved him even more to see that she was upset and blaming herself for not only what happened to him but the other people in the store.

"Julie, that's not true. I don't want you saying that and neither does your mom. Listen. The people that came into the jewelry store wanted to cause harm. They planned it. Why else would the explosive had been active? They had their guns, they could have gotten away with the robbery. They wanted to do this and they would have done it no matter who was in the store and regardless of whether or not you tried to escape."

"But you got hurt! Mr. Monk you _died_! We all watched you _die_! Don't you remember?" she asked, still crying.

This new bit of information disturbed and puzzled Monk. However, one look at Natalie and he knew it was true. Nevertheless, he would have to think about that later. Now, all that concerned him was Julie and how she had worked herself into a state of constant guilt over what had happened. If there was anything Adrian Monk knew it was constant guilt, terror and fear. He could fix this. He reached again to Julie's hair to get her attention. "Julie Teeger, stop. Listen to me. Please. Please...please listen to me. Sit up so I can see you."

Julie reluctantly sat up to where she was looking at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Natalie was amazed to watch him reach for a tissue and carefully dab at her daughter's face and wipe her tears.

"Julie, are you listening to me?" His voice was soft and gentle, but firm.

"Yes, Mr. Monk," she sniffled.

He handed her another tissue and instructed her to blow her nose.

"First of all, I told your mother this and now I'm telling you. Call me Adrian. None of this _Mr. Monk_ business anymore. We're friends."

Julie nodded hesitantly, after looking at Natalie to make sure it was okay with her.

Monk continued. "And for the most important part: you were very brave trying to escape. Nothing that happened because you tried to get help is your fault. I don't blame you. I never did and I never will. Julie, you and your mother - you are very precious to me and I would gladly give my life ten times over to keep you either of you safe. It is not your fault that I am hurt."

Natalie almost wished she had her camera or a tape recorder to have this on record so she could watch it again one day. It was amazing.

"If I had it to do all over again, I would make the same decision again, and again, and again, to make sure you came out of that building okay. So, please don't feel badly about this for one more minute. Be thankful that we're both alive and at least, somewhat, in one piece - even if one of us is held together by plates and screws." he concluded.

Julie continued to cry and hugged him tighter then both Natalie and Adrian heard the teenager whimper a muffled, "Thank you."

Natalie wanted to cry along with daughter and would have if she didn't think it would make Adrian feel more uncomfortable than he already was. What he had done, just then, astounded her. It was something a father would do in reaction to his child if he knew they were hurting. It shouldn't have been the total surprise that it was, for in many ways, Adrian had been a father figure to Julie since she was eleven.

* * *

Julie and Natalie stayed late into the afternoon and were just gathering up their things to leave when Leland and Randy stopped by to update them on the case. As they were talking, Adrian watched Julie closely for any other signs of distress and paid close attention to how she was doing with her ankle. He relaxed somewhat when she seemed to be doing pretty well, and he turned his attention to their friends as they were informing them that the last at-large robber had been caught and arrested and both assailants were scheduled to be arraigned in criminal court the next morning.

"See!" Adrian said, in what he hoped passed for an encouraging tone. "There's nothing to worry about. They caught the guys, and they're going to face the consequences for what they've done."

Adrian had never really had to be the encouraging one before, so it felt a little unnatural. But, he would do it for Julie and Natalie. Natalie didn't need to be worried about her child on top of having to worry about him. If he could help her by doing this one thing, he would.

Julie came back to Adrian's bedside and hugged him again, in front of Natalie and Leland and Randy. He was still caught off-guard and uncomfortable with being hugged, but his good arm wrapped around Julie a little faster than last time as they said their goodbyes.

"I'll come back later this week if you and mom say it's okay," she promised him. "It will take me that long to go to the store and find a card game you can play that you won't automatically win."

Leland smirked and even Natalie laughed at the wounded look on Adrian's face. Natalie gave him a small wave and told him she'd be back later that night, if that was okay with him.

"Of course, Natalie." he told her. "Thank you for bringing Julie to see me."

* * *

As soon as Natalie and Julie had left the room, Leland and Randy continued the conversation about the case, going into more detail about the arraignment the next day and the likely outcome - dependent upon how the suspects pleaded. They also discussed other details that Commander Stottlemeyer, in particular, didn't feel comfortable talking about with the Teeger women within earshot - things like the eventual need for witness testimony from Monk and Julie.

As they continued to talk, Randy was the first to notice the card on Monk's rolling table-top and laughed out loud.

"What's this?" He asked, picking up the card. He then laughed even louder when he noticed it was a musical card. "Aw, man, Monk, this might be the one time you and I ever agree on something. These cards are obnoxious. Who at the station gave you that?"

Leland watched as Monk's eyes narrowed and Monk snatched the card away from Randy. After placing it back on the table, Adrian asked "Randy...tell me. Who was just in here?" with more than a small tinge of irritation.

Randy glanced down in shame and suddenly became very interested in the pattern on the floor of Monk's hospital room. "Julie bought that for you?"

"Julie **_made_** it for me," was Adrian's clipped reply. "Just leave it alone and don't touch it. I have it placed just right, so it doesn't make noise."

Leland coughed back a laugh. "Good going, Randy."

"How was I supposed to know?!" Randy grumbled.

"The card wasn't here yesterday and it's here now. You, me, Natalie, and Julie are the only ones that have visited Monk so far!" Leland replied.

"So?" Randy asked.

"How did you make it this far being a detective?!" Leland asked, rolling his eyes.

Both Leland and Randy looked at Monk when he held up his hand. "Randy, I - I need to talk to Leland about something important before he leaves, and before Natalie comes back. Do you mind?"

Randy opened his mouth to say something else, but he thought better of it when Commander Stottlemeyer shot him a look.

"Um. Sure. I'll see you later, Monk." he replied.

Adrian nodded and Randy left the room.

As Randy was making his way out the door, Leland arranged the card on Monk's table where it wouldn't accidentally be touched by nurses and then raised his eyebrows towards Monk. Monk usually never wanted to talk to him about anything personal and now he was initiating a conversation. This was interesting.

"Everything okay, buddy?" he said once Monk's silence had gotten to be too much for him. Monk was thinking.

Leland tried to guess what Adrian's concern was. "I'd imagine you're getting sick of being here, but the doctors said that..."

"It's…not a medical thing," he interrupted. "It - it kind of is, um…see... Julie said something when she was here earlier today, and Natalie didn't correct her. She said that I _died_ and that the four of you…you and Randy and Natalie and even Julie…you were there to watch."

Stottlemeyer took a seat in the chair besides Monk's hospital bed, and rubbed his eyes. He and Natalie had made no conscious decision not to tell Monk about what had happened. In fact, they had mutually agreed to wait until he was stronger. However, in the back of his mind Leland was honestly hoping Monk would never have to know. He figured that he would just get upset and worry and freak out, as Monk did about most things. The doctors had assured them that, as much as they could guarantee anything in their line of work, the fact that Monk coded in the field for so long hadn't caused long-term damage. So, in Leland's mind, there was simply no need to rush to tell him anything about what had happened.

In addition to this, Natalie had no desire to re-live that horrible day and quite frankly, neither did he. Watching Natalie fall apart the way she had would forever be imprinted upon his memory, and it also brought back too many memories that Leland didn't want to dredge up from when Monk had fallen apart after Trudy had died. But, here it was. Monk now knew enough about what had happened that Leland, as his friend, was being forced to fill in the blanks.

"Yeah," Leland said, thinking to himself of how T.K was so much better at this sort of thing and how he wished that he remembered a fourth of what she'd told him after he'd finally come home from the hospital that first morning. How she hadn't made him talk, but just sat beside him on the couch and held him, encouraging him with the promise that his friend was going to be just fine. "Monk, you have to understand that..." Leland said.

Leland was startled into silence by Monk slammed his water bottle down onto the table, making a loud sound.

"Leland! Julie was crying when she told me that today. She's been blaming herself the entire time for me almost dying! I saw the look on Natalie's face when she said it, and I knew it was true. Now, here I am, looking like even more of a self-absorbed fool than usual because I didn't know!"

"Monk…"

"Is there anything else you aren't telling me? Was this just something else in the very, very long list of things you and Natalie protect me from, like... like six fingered men, or people having extramarital sex affairs, or crime scenes at garbage dumps and naked people beaches that you don't tell me about until I get there? Do you have any idea how..."

"Monk! Do _you_ have any idea how it made Natalie feel to watch you code out right in front of her?" Leland interrupted him, his gruff voice rough with seldom-seen emotion. "Julie saw it too, and so did I. You were _dying_...right there in front of us, Adrian, and we couldn't do a damn thing for you but watch it happen. I am sorry you had to find out from Julie and not from myself or Natalie, but to be perfectly honest with you, Monk, it was hard enough to go through the first time and none of us wanted to do it again."

* * *

Adrian was quiet for a long time and so was Leland, so much so that for a good while the only sound in the room were the beeps of Monk's still-needed medical equipment.

Monk finally spoke. "You called me Adrian. I...I remember a lot of things, and I don't remember the last time you called me Adrian."

Leland wanted to shrug it off as though it didn't matter, but it did. He valued his friendship with Adrian Monk too much to pretend otherwise. "I wanted you to hear how serious it was." he said. "How serious I am. Monk, in spite of how - frustrated I act with you sometimes, you _are_ my best friend. You do know that, don't you? And my life is - better because you're a part of it."

Monk nodded silently and allowed Leland to continue.

Leland rubbed the back of his neck. "Natalie was devastated when she found out about the explosion, and not only because of Julie. She was devastated because you were in there too, and you were hurt. She...uh...she tried to make a run for it several times to get inside to find you guys, and she was very unhappy and angry with me when I held her back. She hit me... and she cried. She cried a lot."

Monk remained silent and listened.

"When the EMTs finally got you out and started working on you, you came to long enough to ask about Julie."

"I remember someone telling me that my _daughter_ was okay," Monk interrupted. "Did, um...did Natalie hear that part?"

"We all did, but Natalie wasn't in any place to be able to internalize it. I doubt she remembers." Leland told him. "But I was there, Monk. I was the one that - I was looking right at you when you took... what we all thought... was your last breath."

The normally tough-as-nails commander looked blankly at an imaginary spot on the hospital wall as his head filled with images that he wanted to just forget. "They did CPR on you forever, and they even brought in a defibrillator and shocked you three times. It was getting pretty close to forty minutes that you had been down, and one of the paramedics said that they should call it - call the time of death. Natalie had held it together up until that point, but when she heard that, she fell apart. She made Randy deal with Julie and she ran up to the stretcher where you were. She would have absolutely collapsed if I wasn't there to catch her. There was one other time that I've witnessed her in such a sad and despondent shape; but I'm telling you, Monk, this time, it was far worse. She _literally_ watched you _die_."

Leland didn't have to tell him what the other time he referred to was. Adrian Monk was good at making the connections and he knew that both of those times Leland had seen Natalie fall apart involved him and his supposed death.

"I don't think you would be with us now if Randy hadn't convinced them to go ahead and shock you a fourth time," Leland admitted quietly, almost as if he was nervous of admitting it out loud.

Monk said nothing, but looked confused.

Leland read his mind and raised an eyebrow. "Even number."

Adrian pondered that and let out a soft chuckle.

Leland got serious again, and leaned in closer to Monk's hospital bed, raising the head of the bed so he could look at him a little better and they were more face-to face.

"Listen. I'm not telling you all of this for myself, buddy." He said, gently. "I would just have soon try to not think about it, ever again. I'm telling you all of this because you asked and because I don't want you to ever think that we don't... that we don't love you, or that we hide things from you deliberately because we don't trust you'll handle it well. It's nothing like that at all. Monk - Natalie and me and Randy and Julie, we care about you. What happened out there was horrible. One of the worse experiences of our lives. But, we love you, and we're grateful that you decided to come back to us."

* * *

Adrian was glad that Natalie wouldn't be returning to him until later in the evening because after Leland had left he had a lot to think about. For instance, he had always assumed that if the time came for him to die, he would willingly go to Trudy and spend the life with her in death that he couldn't on earth. But that wasn't what happened. He remembered wanting to live long enough for Julie's sake so she would make it safely out to her mother. Natalie had already lost her husband, Adrian couldn't let her lose her daughter, too. But, after that, despite the fact that he hadn't known how close he had come to dying, he felt a drive and a fight to survive. He behaved differently than he had expected himself to behave in such a dire situation, and that part was a surprise to him that he would have to file away for later consideration.

He also thought about his friends. Leland Stottlemeyer almost never talked about personal things like his own feelings, but he had today, and it was all in an effort to show Monk how much his friends valued him. Now, Adrian knew more than ever that he belonged, that he mattered to his friends and wasn't just the "defective detective."

And then - and then there was Natalie. Having experienced all that she had in such a short time, how was it that she could still face him? She and Julie had been traumatized because of him - and yet, there wasn't even a hint of bitterness or nervousness in her interaction with him. To the contrary, she had been her normal, encouraging self - allowing him to vent and complain like he normally did, and hiding the fact that just a few hours prior, she was emotionally shattered. She was simply - amazing.

* * *

Later, that evening, Natalie had returned and was now sleeping a few feet away from him in a hospital bed that was reserved for family members. As the hours passed, Adrian's mind was filled with thoughts of what had happened and the effect it had on those he loved. He felt sorrow over what he had put them all through, but especially Natalie. She was always so good to him and it pained him to think he had hurt her in any way.

Once, he thought he heard her murmuring something in her sleep, so he looked over at her. The moon was hitting the window just so and the tiniest bit of light was reflected inside the room. His heart twisted when he saw the remnants of the tear-tracks that stained her cheeks. How much the explosion and resulting aftermath must have affected her.

Natalie had mentioned how Julie was having trouble sleeping and woke up in the middle of the night screaming for him to be okay, but was Natalie sleeping? Was she having nightmares? Adrian was ashamed that he had never asked. He'd never even thought about it until now. But he knew that even if he had asked, Natalie would likely not tell him the truth, believing it was only her job to comfort _him_. Perhaps Leland would know.

Natalie stirred in her sleep, exposing just enough of her form in the moonlight that Adrian felt a deep need to look away. There were many times, like now, where he found himself taken aback by her beauty, by the softness of her gaze, by her smile, by the way her nose wrinkled when she laughed…but she was his employee and there were rules about that sort of thing. Besides that, she could never, ever, even entertain…

_No, Adrian. You can't even think that way._

He closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything that would distract him from the dangerous territory of opening his heart to another. And yet, the thoughts of Natalie wouldn't go away, particularly when he distinctly heard her voice speak his name in her sleep. He hated the sad and desperate tone to it. Oh, how he wished he could _hold her, comfort her, touch her_. If he could, he would make all the pain go away. He'd even take the pain on himself to save her from having to feel it.

Yes, he had to admit, she had become much more than a friend. But this would not be something that he could ever say out loud. He didn't want to ruin or complicate his relationship with Natalie by even contemplating it. _Friends they were and friends they would remain,_ he told himself. Yet, when sleep finally came, and Monk's dreams expressed his deepest desires, she was all he could think about. She was all that he wanted. And when the first rays of sunlight pierced through the blinds in the morning, she was the first thing on his mind as he searched the room for her to make sure she was okay and she was still there.


	10. The Bath

It was another morning and another set of hurdles that Adrian had to overcome on his path to recovery.

The first hurdle of the day was his initial venture into physical therapy. Because he was so immobile, the hospital knew that he would have trouble with muscle atrophy. In order to combat this, they set it up to where he was able to lay flat and workout with his good arm and his good leg so that he could maintain the strength in them that he would need later. Even the little time he had been in bed, he felt a definite difference in his physical strength, so much so that after a half hour of working hard at lifting weights with his arms and back, and strength exercises on his right leg, he felt sweaty and physically exhausted.

When they rolled him back into the room, however, the first thing he looked for was not the nearest pillow where he could rest his head, but for _his_ Natalie. And there she was, sitting in a chair by the window, reading a book, waiting for him to return.

She looked up from her book when his gurney came in view and smiled.

"Wow! You were gone a long time!" she exclaimed, as the technicians lifted him up and helped move him back to the bed.

"Yeah, you should have seen me." He grinned. "You would have been impressed. I really worked up a sweat and bench pressed an entire 10 lbs!"

"10 lbs! Oh my!" she teased. "You'd better be careful, or they are going to start suggesting you for some of those strongman contests."

He chuckled, but soon his laughter faded as, from out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a nurse moving around in the background.

He looked over at Natalie.

"What's she doing?" he asked, motioning with his head towards the nurse.

Natalie turned around. "I don't know. Looks like she is filling up a pan with some water."

"For what?" he asked.

The nurse was a woman around Monk's age whom he had seen on several occasions and who, in his estimation and Natalie's, had been a little _too_ friendly towards him on her earlier shift.

Before Natalie could answer, the nurse spoke up.

"For what? Listen to him!" she said. "Always complaining or asking questions. For what? For your_ bath_ of course, baby doll. That's for what. You go work out and get yourself all sweaty, you're going to need a bath afterwards." As she talked, she began walking towards him with the pan of water and a washcloth.

Despite being fully covered by the cast and a gown, Adrian recoiled, pulling his blanket up over his nose, his eyes looking wildly between the nurse and Natalie.

"I. Don't. Think. So!" He said in staccato fashion.

"Mr. Monk. Don't be that way. You're always fighting everything. You don't want to stink, now do you?" the nurse asked, tugging at the sheet trying to get him to release it.

Adrian took a moment and honestly pondered the question in his mind. _Which was worse, stinking or being bathed by this nurse?_ He balked.

"Natalie. Make her go away. I don't want this." He said, growing increasingly agitated.

"Can't this be done later?" Natalie asked. "You're upsetting my_ boyfriend_." She said, for the first time in front of Adrian.

He blinked and jerked his head towards Natalie in shock.

"Miss. It has to be done. Doctor's orders. I'm to give him a bath and then he is to take a nap before lunch."

"Please." Monk said, temporarily shoving to the side the shock that Natalie just called him her boyfriend, in exchange for a new phobia that needed to be added to his list - the fear of receiving a bath from overzealous nurses.

"Now, Mr. Monk." the nurse said ringing out a washcloth. "You ain't got nothing I ain't see a million times."

Inside his head, Adrian was thinking _You haven't seen me, you shrew. Heck, I don't think I've even seen me!  
_

"Natalie!" he shrieked.

"Mr. Monk..." the nurse said, reaching towards him. He began to hyperventilate.

"Natalie...please! Help me!"

"Hey. I have an idea. What if…_what if I did it_?" Natalie offered impulsively.

The nurse looked over at Adrian, whose eyes suddenly grew VERY wide as he became slack-jawed and completely mute, staring at Natalie in disbelief. She then looked at Natalie, and shrugged. "I suppose that would be fine." she replied. "Here. Here's the washcloth. I have a little soap and some towels over in that closet over there. When you're done, make sure that he gets a nap. Lunch will be served at noon. We're having your_ favorite_, Mr. Monk. Beef Stew."

They had served beef stew the day before and Monk hated it, saying it tasted like shoe leather. But the knowledge they were serving it to him again barely made a dent. _Did Natalie just say that she would_...?

He had no time to protest, for as soon as the nurse finished speaking she left the room, shutting the door behind her, leaving Natalie and Monk alone together. Just the two of them. Natalie holding a washcloth in her right hand, and a tub of warm water in her left.

* * *

They locked eyes.

Was this really going to happen?

Was she really going to go through with it?

Would he really allow it?

Natalie took a deep breath and walked over to the bed as Adrian's eyes followed her along the way.

"Um...hi...? Natalie?" He said, nervously.

"Hello, Adrian." She replied, sitting on the edge of his bed and placing the water on the rolling tray that usually held his food.

"What-cha doing?" he asked, his heart beginning to race within his chest.

"Sitting on your bed." She replied. "Is that okay?"

Adrian thought. _Don't panic. She's just sitting. Nothing to worry about._

"Yes. Of course. Th-that's fine." He replied, closing his eyes.

Soon, he heard the sound of water splashing. He opened his eyes and looked over towards his tray, watching as Natalie's delicate hands reached into the water with the washcloth and then rang the cloth dry over the tub of warm water.

_Okay. Panic!_ He thought.

His voice became shaky. "Wh…what-cha doing now?"

Natalie swallowed. Truthfully, she felt almost as nervous as he did at this point. But, she knew that it was something that had to be done, so she pushed nerves aside and was determined that she would follow through. Yes. She was _actually_ going to give her boss...Adrian Monk...a bath!

"I'm doing what I told the nurse I was going to do." She said, trying to sound nonchalant, but betrayed by a voice that cracked when she said it.

"Oh…oh _really_?" he replied, instinctively adjusting the collar of his hospital gown. "Um, well...here's the thing…could we not, and say we did?"

Natalie smiled a sympathetic smile. "No, Adrian. We can't. We have to keep you cleaned up so that germs don't accumulate and bring about some infect… Listen to me! Am I seriously giving you a lecture on germs?! How dumb is that?"

Adrian chuckled nervously. Inside, his stomach was doing somersaults and begging him to flee. His mind went into overdrive.

_Flee. Yes, that's it! Run away! Just get on up out of bed and...Uh, no buddy, that ain't going to work. You're all busted up. You're not going anywhere. And besides... there she was beside him. And, he HAD gotten sweaty…and she WAS there to help him…and there were all of those germs, after all…and she is awfully pretty looking at him that way…and... oh gee whiz, Monk! **What are you thinking? This is Natalie. You know, Nat! She's one of the guys. Your friend! Nat-uh-lee! Your employeeee. Hellooooo!**_

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again, locking eyes with her again. He swallowed. The thoughts began again. _No, Natalie wasn't just any old friend. She wasn't just one of the guys. She was... special. She was the one person he trusted the most in the entire world – even more, perhaps, than Leland. And here she was, willing to do something for him that was far greater than her pay grade would require. She was going to do for him something that would be impossible for him to do himself. She was giving in that way. That's why he loved… _

_STOP! Not going there!_

He shut off his thoughts as he shut his eyes, and simply nodded, signaling to her that it was okay to commence.

With his good hand, he pulled down the hospital gown from around his shoulders, removing it as much as he could to make it convenient for her.

And so, she began.

* * *

First, she carefully finished removing the gown from around his chest, gingerly slipping it over the cast on his right arm and folding it neatly into the shape of a rectangle, placing it on his bed. Next, she re-wet the cloth, ringing it out in the warm water, and brought it over to his chest.

From the way he sometimes dressed, she had a good idea of what sort of shape he was in, but there was something about seeing Adrian Monk without his shirt on that she found - mesmerizing. It was like she was seeing something forbidden. And, even though he was fully covered from the waist down, her mind began to wander.

_He was slender, without being skinny, and the toned muscles along his pecs and shoulders were actually quite, oh, what's the word she was looking for...sexy? _

_Oh No! Did she just think that Adrian Monk looked sexy?! _

_Well, it's not like the thought had never occurred to her - particularly when he was in uniform. Ooh la la! How he looked in that uniform! Oh my! But, now, here he was, and he was definitely NOT in uniform and he_ _looked_...

She bit her lip.

_Natalie Jane! Get a hold of yourself! It's** Mr. Monk** you're thinking about! **Your boss! Hellllooo!**_

She shook her head, trying to un-think the things she was thinking, but with each dip of the cloth in water and each stroke along his torso, his neck, his arm, his leg, she could not help but feel drawn to this man as years and years of suppressed feelings came to the surface. Her heart swelled within her as she desired to _TOUCH him, to HUG him, to LOVE… Natalie! STOP! Come on girl! Don't go down this route. It is definitely NOT safe. Adrian Monk has room in his heart for only one woman - and a dead one at that. He could never even entertain being with you. He's your best friend. Right? You need friends, right? Don't ruin it now. Don't do it. Don't break your own heart by falling for a guy who is the most unavailable man in all of California. He's Your FRIEND. That's been your stance for years. Be satisfied that this is enough. Don't ruin it all._

She shook her head.

"Um…I think... we need to roll you over so I can get your back." She stated softly, betraying no sense of what was going on inside her mind.

Adrian looked up at her, his eyes revealing a trust that tugged at her heart in ways she could hardly describe. This was a man who hated his own body, who wore clothing up to his neck all of the time, becoming completely open and vulnerable towards her, trusting her to touch him.

"Do you need some help?" She asked softly. Adrian said nothing, but with her help, rolled over to his side.

She began to wipe off his back, but, in the cast, his body was not able to retain the position without tipping over on his face; so, Natalie had to reach over and place her free hand and arm across his chest to keep him from falling.

From his side, he twitched - rolling his neck as he felt a sort of electrical impulse go through his body the moment her bare hand touched his skin.

She washed his shoulders and the back of his neck. She noticed how toned his back was as well. Then, she ran the cloth down as far as her hand could reach in between the cast and his body, bringing her own body very close to his to the point that he could feel the warmth of her breath releasing gently onto his neck.

Contrary to his nature, he relaxed completely in her arms, abandoning all anxiety, as she finished up the bath by washing his left arm. First, she washed his bicep, and then his forearm all the way to his hand. He rolled over onto his back, placing his hand on the small of her back, not releasing his gaze from her for one second as she turned his hand over and washed the inside of his arm.

And, she was done.

The two said nothing but just looked at one another with an intent gaze for what seemed like forever. Slowly, Adrian removed his hand from her back and brought it to her hand, taking her hand in his.

He smiled.

"Thank you," he said softly.

She swallowed. "You're welcome." She replied, returning the smile.

Adrian began to shiver.

"Oh, are you cold?" she said with concern.

"A little," he replied.

"Here, let me get your hospital gown," she said, reaching over his body to pick up the gown, his eyes tracking her every move. Helping him put it back on, she was beginning to get up from the edge of the bed when he reached out his hand and held onto hers.

She turned towards him and looked him in the eyes.

"Stay with me," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Stay here. Don't leave me."

Natalie's heart began to flutter. Was Adrian Monk asking her to lay down next to him? No. It couldn't be. But, yes, here it was. That's exactly what he was doing. She hardly knew what to say. So, she didn't say anything at all.

Instead, she lifted the sheets and placed them over Adrian's body then crawled underneath them herself, laying closely beside him, keeping him warm as she laid her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating steady and strong, as she felt his good arm reach over and touch her shoulder, his free hand gently twirling pieces of her hair. And there they laid. Quiet and still in each other's arms, only the sounds of their breath and the soft rhythm of their hearts to keep them company.

She had promised the nurse that Adrian would get a nap before lunch, and she couldn't swear that this actually happened. But what did happen was amazing. It wasn't sexual, but it was intimate, and it so felt oh so incredibly right.


	11. The Surprising Morning

Julie Teeger carried a moderate-sized travel bag with her on her way to Mr. Monk's hospital room, a bag filled with clothes for her mom and also some bathroom essentials. Why her mom couldn't come home even for half an hour and get these things herself, Julie didn't know, but sometimes it was just easier to do what she was told and not ask questions - especially when it came to Mr. Monk, as nice as he was.

As she walked down the hospital corridor, she was so engrossed in her music and her cellphone that she almost missed the corner turn to his room. Backing up, Julie balanced the bag on her hip and opened the door to the hospital room. When she entered the room, she was stupefied by the sight she saw. Her mouth dropped open and she had to catch the travel bag to stop it from dropping to the floor. She whimpered in surprise when the bag slammed into the brace of her walking boot. She'd been hesitant to take the pain pills after that first one made her throw up all night, but she might have to, now.

Pulling the earbuds out of her ears, she looped their cord around her neck and jammed the stop button on her iPod. She couldn't believe her eyes! There was Mr. Monk, lying awake in his hospital bed. This would have been fine, except, he wasn't alone. Her mom was right there, beside him, and his arm was around her. He raised his finger towards his mouth and motioned for her to be quiet; but, Julie couldn't keep quiet.

She set down the bag. "Would you care to explain yourself?" she asked in shock.

"Not really," Adrian whispered matter-of-factly. She could have sworn she saw him kiss the top of her mom's head.

He looked at her standing in the doorway. "Julie, you should have called someone to help you. You shouldn't be carrying heavy things when you are walking around in that boot."

"It's not that heavy, it's just some..." she said, stopping short when she heard Captain Disher's voice down the hall. That's right! Her mom_ had_ told her something about Captain Disher and Commander Stottlemeyer meeting them for lunch so the four of them could go over some case-work.

"I'll be right back, Mr. Monk," she told him quietly, backing out the door and being double-sure that it closed behind her.

As the door closed, she took one more look through its window and this time she was certain of what she saw. Mr. Monk, her mom's boss, pressed a feather-light kiss to the top of her sleeping mother's head. What in the world was going on?

* * *

Once Captain Disher and Commander Stottlemeyer reached the room, she immediately took two steps back away from the door. Her eyes darted back and forth between them before settling on Commander Stottlemeyer.

"Um, commander?" she said hesitantly. "My mom and Mr. Monk, they're - well, he's awake and she's asleep, but...she's still in bed."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'm sure she won't mind waking up. We were going to work on this case." Leland replied.

"Um...you don't understand. She's in _his _bed. Mr. Monk's." she answered.

Leland opened his mouth to say something, not sure why Natalie's daughter was telling him this, but Randy beat him to it. Captain Disher's voice showed his disbelief. "Monk doesn't sleep in bed with anyone. Ever. Natalie's asleep on the bed they set up for her. She moved the bed closer. That's all."

Curious, Leland walked past Julie and cautiously entered Monk's hospital room. Julie was close on his heels and Randy tagged along behind just so he could prove to himself that she was wrong. Randy wasn't as close to Monk as Leland was, but even still, he was relatively certain Monk would rather set himself on fire then get that physically close to any living human. Especially if that living human was a woman and her name wasn't Trudy.

"What the...?" Randy muttered under his breath as Monk's bed came into sight. Julie was right.

Monk was awake and watching the three of them as they quietly entered his room. Leland blinked twice to confirm to himself that he was actually seeing what he was seeing. There was Natalie, entangled in Monk's embrace, sleeping in such a way that it was clear she was being careful not to hurt him. Her head was on his chest and his arm was wrapped around her. He was playing with her hair with his fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. This was - new, this was strange and unexpected and, in Leland's private opinion, this was a long time coming.

Randy was the first to speak.

"Uh...Hi, Monk," he said in a tone that he hoped passed for casual.

Leland smirked as Monk narrowed his eyes at Randy, knowing that Monk recognized that as Randy's _I-want-answers-and-I-want-the-truth_ voice.

Monk ignored Randy and looked at Julie. "Is your mom still asleep?" he asked.

Julie looked dumbfounded, but nodded at Adrian.

"Good. I want to keep it that way." he said.

Looking equally as dumbfounded as Julie, Randy couldn't help but comment on the very strange situation. "Monk! Um...you do realize that Natalie is in your hospital bed right now, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes." Adrian nodded.

"And, well... she's _touching_ you, she's sleeping _next_ to you and you're...you're _touching_ her, and...well, we're all here looking at you and you're acting like it's nothing." Randy said.

"I'm aware of my surroundings, Randy. Do you have a point?" he asked.

Disher tried to play it cool. "Oh...no..no point." He said. But then, as if he had a really good tip to share, he leaned in and said "It's just that, whatever _medication_ they have you on...man, you need to stay on it when you go home!"

Adrian looked annoyed and Leland made a mental note to have a private talk with Monk when everyone was out of the room. He'd also be having a talk with Randy that afternoon, as soon as they left the hospital.

* * *

After a few moments of awkward silence, Julie dutifully stepped forward and grinned, handing Monk a new package of his wipes. "Here, Mr. Monk...um, Adrian...I brought you these."

She would have to remember that she was allowed to call him Adrian now, but it was hard breaking such a long-standing habit.

He happily took the wipes from her hand and removed one right away. She had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud when he immediately took it and used it to clean the raised bar on his hospital bed. With a satisfied look on his face he handed the used wipe to Julie then explained to his friends his current frame of mind while she threw the wipe away.

"Natalie asked Julie to bring her more nighttime wear and more clothes." he said quietly. "She hasn't left the hospital in days except to get food or things that I need. So when she is asleep and comfortable I don't want to be the person that disturbs her rest, not after everything she has done for me."

As he spoke, Leland saw how Monk's injured arm stayed close to Natalie's body and his hand gently caressed her bare arm. He reconsidered which talk he needed to have with him and realized he was going to have to get Natalie away from the room for longer than he originally intended in order to speak freely. Monk might not take that well, if the protective way he was looking at her, even now, was an indication.

* * *

The nurse quietly slipped into the room to deliver Adrian's lunch. Monk made a face when he saw that it was the promised beef stew and offered it to Randy in exchange for his food. Randy declined. Julie promised him that when his dietary restrictions were changed she and mom would bring him something else or she would personally send for Commander Stottlemeyer to bring him a burger.

Adrian smiled as he glanced down at Natalie. She was still sound asleep. He looked helplessly at Leland, so Leland removed the water basin and washcloth from the table at Monk's bedside, patiently put down extra napkins when Monk asked, and helped him reach his food and utensils. Natalie didn't stir. It was a challenge and sometimes a frustrating one, but Adrian managed somehow to eat the majority of his lunch and drink his water without so much as hearing a peep out of Natalie.

* * *

After about an hour, a different shift nurse came to retrieve the meal tray and Julie noticed how the men looked at Adrian when the nurse explained the next day's agenda to Adrian. She handed him a piece of paper with the schedule typed out on it.

"Thomas will be back by here tomorrow morning to pick you up for physical therapy. Same time as this morning."

"Alright," he replied.

"Oh, and, Renee will leave some towels and washcloths over there by the basin for your girlfriend to use when she gives you your bath tomorrow, just like this morning. I think that worked out well."

Adrian stared straight at the nurse, not daring to look at the others, his face remaining emotionless. "Um. Yes. That's fine," he said.

"Oh, and since she is refusing to go home, we've arranged for her to be able to use the shower in the nurse's quarters. That should make things more convenient." she said. "I think that's about it. Do you need anything else."

"No. I'm fine. Thank you," was Monk's reply.

As she left the room, he studied the paper, refusing to make eye contact with the rest of the group who had simultaneously moved closer to his bed and stared at him in disbelief.

After a few moments of silence, Leland was the first one who spoke.

"Did..did that nurse just say that Natalie._.gave you a bath_?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"No...she said his _girlfriend _gave him a bath," Julie corrected the commander. "Okay, Adrian. Dish it. What's going on here?"

Adrian tried to maintain a cool demeanor and looked up from his paper. "Well. I came back from physical therapy and was all sweaty. The nurse said I needed a bath, so Natalie gave it to me. End of story."

Randy choked back an incredulous laugh. "_End of story_? Seriously man? Um...this is NOT end of story. Are you telling us that Natalie actually...she actually...um...Julie, close your ears."

"Randy, I'm 18."

"I don't care. You're too young for this sort of discussion..." he said, much as an uncle would to a young niece.

But then, he turned back to Monk forgetting she was there. "Were you like actually _naked _ when she did this, um, bath thing?"

"Oh for Pete's sake, Randy! I'm in a body cast!" he said.

"Yeah but it has openings," Randy replied.

"Leland!" Monk called out.

Leland grinned. "Sorry, buddy. I'm on his side on this one. Please...explain to us how it was that you had your assistant give you a bath. I mean, Natalie will do a lot of things for you, but don't you think that this one was a bit above and beyond the call of duty?"

Monk was quiet for a moment and then mumbled, "I didn't _have_ her do it. She _volunteered_."

Julie now pulled her chair in even closer and Adrian knew he had said exactly the wrong thing.

"Explain to us what this _volunteering_ to _bathe _you entailed, Adrian. We're all very interested," she said with a smirk.

Suddenly, Randy dropped his can of Coke and it made a very loud clanging sound on the floor. Natalie woke up with a start and her sudden movement jostled Monk just enough to cause his body to reel with pain. He grimaced. Taking a strong inward breath, he bellowed "Huh-huh-hurting me! Get her off!"

Leland was the first to his feet, dropping his sandwich and helping Natalie out of Monk's bed, careful to keep her from unhooking anything accidentally. Julie ran around the other side of the bed to push another dose of the pain medication and Randy picked his drink up off the floor.

Natalie was at once wide awake, immediately scooting the chair Leland had put her in closer to Monk's bedside and holding onto his left hand. She frantically tried to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Adrian, I'm so, so very sorry. I didn't mean to!"

Monk continued to wince, with the pain hitting such a threshold that veins could be seen in his face and neck.

Leland was surprised by the use of Monk's first name before recalling that somewhere along the way Monk had asked Natalie and Julie to use it. He'd add it to the list of interesting things about this hospital stay. He wasn't sure what exactly Natalie was apologizing for: falling asleep on Monk like she had, for hurting him, or maybe for something else entirely. He wasn't even sure how she ended up in bed with him to begin with. Was it after his bath? If so, something huge was indeed going on. Regardless, he knew there was a new dynamic between the two. Something was changing. They might not even be entirely aware of it themselves. But something was definitely different.

* * *

Now more than ever, Julie was absolutely certain about a decision she had made that week. Witnessing the chaos in the room as the three friends struggled to alleviate Adrian's pain, she figured what better time to tell the present to announce her choice while there were witnesses in the room. She set her phone face-down on the table, and thought about how she would say it. Finally, she decided to just blurt it out.

She stood up and announced, "I'm not going to Berkeley."

Adrian looked over at her, forgetting the searing pain he felt just moments prior, and Natalie turned around in her chair in shock. Leland looked up from adjusting Monk's pain pump and Randy looked up from down on the floor where he was cleaning up a spilled soda.

"You're what?" Natalie asked.

"I'm not dropping out, don't worry, I'm just - waiting until next semester to go. I'm staying here and helping you with Adrian, Mom. It's my fault he's hurt so it's only fair."

The group sat in stunned silence, and Randy was the first to speak. His voice was surprisingly gentle yet serious. "Julie, nothing about what happened was your fault," he said.

Both Natalie and Adrian looked at each other and then at Julie simultaneously.

"Julie, I thought we talked about this," Monk said reproachfully. "You're not to blame for anything and your mother and I aren't going to let you..."

"I've already dropped my classes and got your money back for the dorm, mom," she said.

"Julie, you don't have to worry about me," Adrian tried again. "I'll be fine here. Your mother's here, the captain and the commander are here..."

"...and I am more than capable of hiring a nurse to help me out if it gets to be too much," Natalie interrupted.

Leland Stottlemeyer was the only one to catch Monk's look at Natalie that plainly said _I don't think so._ Leland smirked. Monk might be trying new things lately, but the old Adrian Monk was still in there.

"Mom, I'm eighteen, I'm old enough to decide for myself. I'm not going to Berkeley until January. I'm staying here with you and Adrian."

Natalie looked at the commander first for help but Leland held up his hands. "Don't drag me into this, Ms. Teeger, she's not my kid. I can't even get Jared and Max to listen to me."

Natalie turned helplessly to Adrian. "She'll listen to you, Adrian, say something!"

Adrian looked uncomfortable but nevertheless looked at Natalie's daughter and tried for the third time. "Julie, no. I appreciate the gesture, believe me. It means more to me than you could know, but staying here on the chance you might need to help me is not worth holding out on your education. It's important to your mother - to me and your mother - that you go. You need to call them back and get back in your classes. I will be just fine. I promise."

"The last day to add and drop a class already passed," Julie admitted, and Natalie was suspicious that Julie sounded proud of that. Had she planned this? "I'll go back in January, Mr. M...um, Adrian. Mom would kill me if I don't. But I made up my mind. Case closed." Adrian knew better than to say it out loud but the way Julie looked just then, jaw clenched and her nose slightly in the air, she looked exactly like Natalie did when she was angry or upset.

"Case _not _closed!" Natalie cried. "Adrian, help me!"

"It's already decided, mom. Drop it!" Julie exclaimed.

"Hey! I'm still your mother. Watch your attitude and your tone, young lady," Natalie ordered.

Julie lowered her head in shame and apologized when she saw the upset looks on Natalie and Adrian's faces.

"Mom, I love you. I promise I'll go back in January. But Adrian is a part of our family and you always taught me that family takes care of family no matter what. Please don't fight me on this. I want to help. Really. I _need_ to help."


	12. The Price of Progress

Natalie and Adrian were settling in for the long haul of his hospital stay. It took some time but they had developed a routine that wasn't dissimilar to being roommates in a dorm. She woke up each morning, she in her bed and he in his, and the first thing she looked for was him. More often than not, he was awake, and he never forgot to ask her if she'd slept well. They would eat most of their meals together, talk, and play cards games which she had taught him, and which, try as he might to do otherwise, he would always win. She always laughed and said she didn't mind losing at poker to the great Adrian Monk. And he would always get a little shy and bow his head telling her it was 'beginner's luck'. This time was an opportunity for them to get to know each other even more than they had before over the last seven years, an opportunity that they both gladly took advantage of.

All was not blissful, however, for the longer Adrian was in the hospital, the crankier he got. Each morning, one of the first questions he would ask Natalie after she went to the nurse's station to get his agenda for the day, was if _this_ was the day that he would finally get to go home. And, each day, she was the unfortunate one that had to crush his hopes and tell him no. The only people who could release him to go home were the doctors and the doctors didn't think he was ready yet. After this, she was subjected to a serious pout which would last up until the technicians came to get him for physical therapy.

From the earliest days she had understood that it would be several weeks, possibly a few months, until he was well enough to be released into her care; but, because he was generally in a good mood whenever he was around her, she was hesitant to tell him this. And, so, she put up with the questions and the pouts and they waited together.

* * *

Monk's food restrictions were modified soon after his first week of physical therapy and his doctors and Natalie (with firsthand knowledge of Adrian's particular issues with food and what he would and wouldn't eat) worked together to implement a diet that sought to achieve a balance between Adrian's current level of physical activity and his need for caloric intake to sustain him for therapy. Monk had confessed to Leland that he had gotten to the point where he would eat almost anything and he didn't care if it was touching another food item or not, so long as it was cooked properly and wasn't beef stew. And so, the night the restrictions were lifted, Natalie surprised him with a personal-sized chicken pot pie. They ate that meal together, with the door to his hospital room closed. He said it was the best meal he'd ever had. He even used his fork to feed Natalie multiple bites.

* * *

Adrian had gotten used to Natalie spending the majority of the day, every day, in his hospital room. The only days and nights she didn't come to him was when she was taking care of Julie. Julie visited more and more and he thoroughly enjoyed seeing her each time; but, if truth be told, he enjoyed it better when it was just Natalie alone coming to see him. He enjoyed her company.

While he was at physical therapy, Natalie would read books or watch television in his room (he rarely watched since he didn't approve of daytime television and nothing much was on channel 10). And, while she was away taking the hour-long break he insisted she take each day, he would keep himself occupied by reading a few books that they had brought in from his apartment, or pouring over various case files Leland had sent over. Natalie explained to him when she'd first handed him the files, that Leland had told her just because Monk was stuck in a hospital bed didn't mean that he couldn't be useful. It was his body that was broken and not his brain, and so they continued to use him as a consultant. Adrian suspected it was solely Leland's authority as commander that allowed this arrangement. Seeing how badly Adrian needed this and how much it helped him emotionally during his confinement, Natalie made a special trip to the police station to Commander Stottlemeyer's office and thanked the commander personally.

* * *

Being incapacitated gave Monk plenty of time to think. He couldn't help feeling guilty for taking up so much of Natalie's life and time but at the same time he loved having her around. She was a welcome distraction for a mind that tended to become morose. If she wasn't around, his mind wandered to unwanted thoughts of the traumatic events of the day of the explosion and how Leland had looked when he had described them. It especially bothered him when he recalled what Leland said concerning its affect on Natalie. It killed him inside to think that he had put her through so much pain. He never wanted her to feel pain, especially because of him. And while he wanted to file these thoughts away, never to consider them any more, he couldn't; for they brought up so many questions, so many feelings, that try as he might to ignore them - he just couldn't. And so, he filled his days with as much activity as he could muster, rarely being alone by himself. But at night, when the lights were out and it was just him and Natalie alone in his room - and her sleeping just a few feet away from him - the thoughts would return, and it was impossible to stop them.

_Why had he stayed? Why didn't he go to Trudy?_ As much as it scared him to admit it, Adrian knew the reason why. It was because he wanted to live. Finally, after so many years in a self-imposed prison of despair, he was beginning to feel happy again, and the woman sleeping quietly in the bed just across his room was a big reason why.

Yes, with each passing night the picture was getting clearer. It wasn't something that he could put off forever, but this...these feelings he was having for his assistant...would have to be addressed. He knew he was attracted to her, and not just physically. It also wasn't merely because she was the only woman in his life that enjoyed his company and tolerated his many quirks and faults of personality. No, he was attracted to her character, her personality, her kind and happy spirit. These feelings were something he hadn't felt in more than twenty years -not since he'd met Trudy - and consequently, it was all quite terrifying for him. Down deep, he knew that he wanted to be _more than friends _with her, but he didn't know what to do from there. Natalie would surely reject him and in one fell swoop he would lose an assistant and a friend. After all, why would such a beautiful and vivacious woman as Natalie Teeger ever want more than friendship with him?

* * *

It was the next evening that Julie made her way into the hospital around half past five. It had been about a week and a half since she made her bombshell announcement that she was postponing college, much to her mother's ongoing disappointment, and she had developed a routine which centered around helping Adrian and her mom as he continued to heal. As per their agreement, she went to the couch in the far corner of the room, organizing her laptop and spiral notebook and pens on a table that he had requested to be brought into his hospital room just for her. Only when Captain Disher and Commander Stottlemeyer showed up with much-wanted dinner did she shut things down, grinning at Adrian when he looked at her with approval for all she had accomplished.

Randy walked over and handed Natalie her and Monk's food orders (Monk's bag was always bigger than hers because it contained multiple containers in order to keep the items separate, though in the end, they would end up sharing whatever they ate to the quiet curiosity of whoever was in the room.) He then walked over and sat by Julie, taking a seat by her at her table to eat and make a little small talk.

"So, Julie, you _are_ going to Berkeley after all?" he asked.

"Oh, no, she won't go to Berkeley no matter what we say," Natalie interjected.

Monk looked at Leland with a look that plainly said '_see how well she's taking it?_' Leland held back a smirk.

Julie responded. "We compromised, and I'm doing online classes. Adrian somehow didn't realize I'd be going to college with boys when I went to Berkeley and that they were allowed to live in the same dorms as girls. So once we told him that, he was only too happy to bring up the idea of online classes."

This time Leland did smirk, and Randy laughed.

Adrian looked nonplussed. "Julie, don't exaggerate. I knew you would be going to school with boys. I _went_ there. Remember?" he said.

"You made me leave the room to have a private conversation with mom once you found out the dorms were co-ed," she laughed.

"Okay, you're right there. I didn't know that the dorms were co-ed until you said something, but I'm glad I know now before you go. What were those Berkeley people thinking?"

"Monk, most colleges have co-ed dorms," Randy laughed. "Heaven only knows how you survived college."

Julie rolled her eyes and took the pickles off of her burger, motioning to Randy to pass them to her mom. "Anyway, the three of us - Mom, me, and Adrian - talked about online classes for a long time and Mom still isn't happy about it, but we agreed this was the best course of action. I did promise I'd go to Berkeley in the spring."

"And by _we_ agreed she means that _Adrian_ somehow managed to talk me into it," Natalie interjected. "But she will be going to Berkeley for the spring semester."

"No matter where I am in my recovery." Monk said firmly.

Julie looked unhappy at that but ultimately conceded for not wanting to make another scene. "No matter where Adrian is in his recovery," she echoed. She took a bite of her burger.

Leland, meanwhile, through bites of his own sandwich, watched the entire scene unfold without saying a word. The way Monk was firmly entrenching his place in Natalie and Julie's home life as a second authority figure to Julie almost on the same level of her mother wasn't lost on him.

* * *

The hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks until, before they knew it, six weeks had passed and the day had finally arrived to where Adrian's Spica cast would be cut off and an evaluation would be done as to the progress of his healing. The day started with nothing but excitement. Leland was there, and observed that Adrian Monk was perhaps more anxious to see a doctor than at any time in his life. In fact, he was positively hyper. Natalie could hardly keep up.

"Do you still have my paperwork in hand?" was his latest question, one he had asked more than five times. Leland amused himself by keeping count.

Natalie smiled in spite of herself, reaching forward in her chair to absently stroke his curls. "Yes, Adrian. I've got it right here. It hasn't moved since the last time you asked."

"What time is it?" he asked.

She sighed. "It is twelve minutes after 11. Two minutes since the last time you asked." She looked at Leland with a look that screamed _help me._

"Natalie! This isn't funny. In eighteen minutes, more or less - but I really do hope it's less - they are going to come in here and get me and take me back to wherever they do these things, and they are going to cut me out of this torture chamber! The doctor said that there is a possibility that if I have healed well, I may not even have to be recasted with a Spica cast but I'll actually be able to wear a normal leg cast where I can sit up in a chair for the first time in 6 weeks. Aren't you excited about that?" he asked.

"Adrian, I am very excited. I'm excited for you. I'm excited for me. I'm excited for Leland. I'm excited all the way around. You've really been brave all these weeks and I know it's been hard for you. So, don't take my not joining in right now as a lack of excitement. I am. I'm very excited. But, you need to calm down a little. You've been bouncing off the walls all morning," Natalie replied.

Adrian frowned in her direction. "Natalie Jane Teeger, I do not bounce. I do not have the ability to bounce. Besides, if I bounced, knowing me I would probably break something and we'd be in here another six weeks."

She chuckled. Adrian was funny sometimes, and not just when he was trying to be. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used that phrase. But seriously, I'm really happy that we're going to at least get an evaluation, and I'm hoping for the very best."

Monk happened to look over at Leland and saw the look on his face. "What's with the smirk, Stottlemeyer? Do you have something you wish to say?"

Leland instantly made his face look serious. "No. Not at all. Um. I'm excited too, Monk. Not bouncing, but excited. Can't you tell?"

Natalie snorted.

Adrian looked offended. "Natalieeeee. Are you laughing at me?" he asked.

Natalie only laughed harder. He had been so good for so many weeks that she almost forgot this side of him existed and, in a strange way, she missed it. It made things interesting.

"Humph!" Adrian said, his face forming a distinct pout.

After a few minutes of silence, Natalie looked over at him. He wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Oh, come on, Adrian, be good. You know I didn't mean anything by it. You know I'm just as happy for you as you have to be for yourself. This is huge!"

He remained silent.

"Adrian?... Ayyydrian?" she cajoled, in a sing-song-y tone of voice.

He refused to acknowledge her and she grinned and rolled her eyes, looking at Leland who grinned back at her and took the hint.

"Well, Natalie," Leland said in mock-disappointment. "I guess you've done it now. Monk doesn't want to talk with you. I guess you'll have to go home tonight and I'll have to stay here with him."

Monk's eyes darted between Leland and Natalie, ending with Natalie.

"You will be here when I get back, won't you?"

Natalie shrugged. "I…I don't know, Adrian, I might have to go be with Julie for awhile. You don't seem to want me around."

Monk immediately became animated, reaching for Natalie's hand, his eyes tracking her every move. Leland watched the two of them interact. "No! I mean…yes! I …I want you around. I - I always want you around. You'll be here, won't you? Julie has to study. You won't leave me?"

Leland smirked as Natalie walked back up to the bed and sat down. "Silly man. Of course I'll be here. I haven't left you yet, have I?"

He sighed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. "Thank heaven." Then he opened them again. "What time is it now?"

Natalie sighed indulgently, rolled her eyes at Leland and then reluctantly looked at her watch. "It's 11:14 AM. Sixteen more minutes."

* * *

At precisely 11:30 hospital staff came in and wheeled Adrian to another wing of the hospital in order to remove his cast. He had been briefed on what to expect and in spite of the fact that it looked and sounded like a power saw, he knew the instrument used for cutting was only a vibrating blade and it would not cut him. Nevertheless, he was still very nervous.

It seemed like it took forever for them to cut through the cast, and when it at last broke free, he winced in pain as his stiff back and hip muscles protested at their first movement in six weeks. He didn't want to look at what was underneath the cast. He had heard horror stories and had tried to push them back to the back of his head. So, he just stared at the ceiling.

Two attendants came in and transferred him to a gurney and then moved him down to x-ray, concentrating on each area of breakage. About twenty minutes later, the doctor came out to tell Monk about the results.

"Well, Mr. Monk, I have some very good news for you," Dr. Werner said.

"Good news? Is this like good news bad news? Because if it is good news that is followed by bad news then I think I want the bad news first," Adrian said as politely as he could. Natalie would be proud of him.

Dr. Werner chuckled. "No, Mr. Monk, it's only good news today. Your bones have healed better than I expected. So much so, that, I think you can start bearing weight on your right leg and hips and working on those areas in your therapy. The pelvis and hip breaks have fused very nicely. Can hardly tell that they were broken, if I do say so myself. I'm not going to put you back into a Spica cast. Rather, we will opt for a leg cast for the left leg that covers the tibial and femur regions. One step closer step to freedom. Congratulations."

For several minutes, Adrian was ecstatic. He almost cried. The first person he wanted to go tell was Natalie. He knew she would be as thrilled as he was. But then, he made a serious mistake. As the attendants transferred him back to the casting room, he looked down, and all internal celebration ceased.

He grew despondent. Hospital staff had no idea why. They tried to get him to talk but he wouldn't. Instead, he asked, after being put in the leg cast, to be taken not back to his room but to be left alone here for a little while longer. He wanted to see nobody, except, perhaps Julie. He remembered Natalie had said she was studying down the hall in the nurses' lounge. He hated to interrupt her but she was his only acceptable choice to do what he required of her. He called for Julie.

* * *

Back in Adrian's room, Natalie and Leland were chatting about various things that Adrian and Natalie were missing by not being at the station. They were laughing about a story Leland was sharing about Randy when the nurse came in the room, Julie in tow. Julie had her jacket in her arms and reached for Natalie's as well.

Natalie stood right away. "Julie? Adrian's going to be back soon with his updates about his cast, do you have to leave now?"

The nurse took over before Julie could speak. "Mr. Monk requested that he speak with a Julie Teeger and only Julie Teeger."

Julie bit her lip and looked at her mother with questions written all over her face. "The nurse found me in the lounge and brought me to Adrian and we talked. Come on, Mom, he wants me to take you home."

"He wants who to take who home? What…what's going on?"

The eighteen year old shrugged. "He wouldn't say but he promised me an expensive dinner just the three of us if I did what I was told and didn't ask questions. But if I were you I would ask questions. He's really upset, Mom. He looked like he had been crying. He said he doesn't want you to see him like this and that I should take you home."

Natalie took her jacket from Julie's outstretched hands and set it back down. She looked worriedly at Leland. "Something's wrong. If he's that upset I don't want him to be without me. I'm not leaving."

Leland Stottlemeyer knew that he wasn't half the detective Monk was, but in the back of his mind Leland suspected something like this might happen. Monk was unique in the best of times, but this reaction was normal - if it was what he thought it was. And that made Leland happy, as awful as that sounded. This was something he knew he could help Monk with. He knew Natalie enough to know she wouldn't leave Monk once Julie admitted how upset he was, but he could send her and Julie to the coffee shop across the street and give them explicit instructions not to return until Monk was ready for Natalie to see him.

"I don't understand," Natalie murmured, gratefully taking the tissue Leland handed her. "Why doesn't he want to see me?" she said.

Leland moved Natalie a few feet away from Julie and the nurse and spoke quietly. "I think I might know what's going on. If you give me a little time, I might be able to straighten this out. Leave it to me."

"No! I am not leaving, Leland! I need to see him. What if he's hurt?" she asked.

Leland put his hand on Natalie's shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. He really wasn't good at this sort of thing. "If Monk were hurt, Natalie, he wouldn't be sending you away. Believe me. He depends on you." He stuffed his other hand in the pocket of his jeans. "Listen, I don't want to pull rank on you, but I will if I have to. You have one of two choices, okay? You and Julie can go to the coffee shop across the street and relax while I deal with him, or you can do what he said and go home. Your decision. If you choose to stay, I'll text you and let you know when he's ready to see you. I promise. But you need to trust me."

Natalie was on the verge of tears or a panic attack, Leland wasn't sure. But he didn't want to see either. "He was so adamant about me staying and he was so excited about getting his cast off, I don't understand."

"I know you don't." Natalie looked up when Leland seemed to put an emphasis on the "you," and he looked uncomfortable. "I think it might be a...guy thing," he muttered, and Natalie hummed in recognition. "Give me time to talk to him and he'll be good as new. Everything will be all right."

Natalie finally gave her reluctant consent for Leland to be the one to talk to Adrian. She and Julie would leave and go to the coffee shop, but Leland was to text her the moment it was okay for her to return.

"I will, don't worry." Leland promised.


	13. The Melt Down and Heating Up

It was early evening before Monk was brought back to his room, having been allowed by hospital staff to just hang out near the casting room until he felt that he was ready to return. When he did, he was relieved to see that Natalie and Julie were gone. Julie was a good kid, she must have done as he wished. Part of him felt bad for having to bribe her to get her to do what he wanted, but it was the only way. It was for the best. Natalie would be mad, and he felt bad about that, but he couldn't stand it if she saw him like this. It was humiliating enough for him to know that she had seen him the way he had been for the past six weeks. This would just be too much. He couldn't stand seeing her take one look at him and walking away, particularly since he was only just now coming to terms with the feelings he had for her.

The technician helped him into bed. It was a much easier task now that his lower body only had the leg cast and Adrian slid effortlessly into his spot. He had just begun to adjust his sheets and pillows when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He panicked at first, but then relaxed when he realized it was just Leland. He looked over at him and nodded with a nervous smile, but Leland did not look happy.

Leland waited for the technician to leave before standing, dragging his chair to Monk's bedside, and sitting down again. Adrian blinked. He'd instructed that nurse to tell Julie to take Natalie home at least five hours ago, surely Leland hadn't been waiting for him all of that time.

"Hello, Leland," he said quietly, thinking that would be non-offensive and a safe enough way to start.

Leland did not return Monk's greeting, but simply pulled his chair closer and turned it to face Monk.

"That woman has been at your side day and night, helping you with anything and everything you need, sleeping in this cramped room with you most nights, driving herself to the point of exhaustion worrying about you every minute of every day, and _you_ thought it was _acceptable_ to make the decision that she couldn't be here for this important milestone in your recovery? You thought she would take it _well_ if you sent her home with Julie, like she was a_ child_?"

Leland was slightly - but only slightly - mollified by the abashed look of discomfort on Monk's face, one that had nothing to do with any physical pain he might be in.

"I knew she wouldn't be happy," he mumbled. "But she did what I wanted her to do. She's at home with Julie where at least she can't...she can't see me."

The commander's voice was angry. He spoke slowly and directly. "She's at the coffee shop across the street half-worried out of her mind that something horrible must have happened to you. You can't keep doing this to her." Monk opened his mouth like he wanted to respond, but Leland was having none of it and held up his hand. "Monk. You shut up and listen. I talk. That is how this works right now. Understand?"

Adrian's eyes shifted down to his hospital sheets and he grasped them in his hand. "Yes," he muttered. Leland was using his authoritative commanding-officer voice and Monk knew from years of experience it would do more harm than good if he tried to challenge him.

Adrian looked out of the corner of his eye and pointed to the chair where Natalie's jacket hung haphazardly from the corner. "Would you please...?"

"Move that jacket so it's not hanging from only one corner?" Leland guessed, without even looking at what Adrian was pointing at.

Monk nodded.

"No. I won't. There are some things you're just going to have to deal with, Monk."

Leland refused to give in to the wounded look on Monk's face and continued. "We're going to talk about you and we're going to talk about Natalie and we're going to talk about _why_ you sent her away today when you've refused to let her out of your sight for the past six weeks. Something happened in between you getting your old cast taken off and your new one put on, because you were fine when you left here. If your doctors told you something you didn't like about your ability to recover, we would know. Now, I can hazard a few guesses and make up some theories and make you listen to them all; but, I'd much rather hear it from you, _why_ you would do such an asinine thing." Leland lowered the guardrails on Monk's hospital bed to halfway and rested his arms on the rails. "I'm listening. It's your turn to talk."

Leland would have made a good prosecutor if he hadn't chosen to be a cop. He had Monk in his sights and merely waited. Adrian, choosing to remain silent on the grounds of self-incrimination, looked back at Natalie's jacket. It bothered him that it hung that way, but it also bothered him because it meant she could be back any moment.

As if reading his mind, Leland said, "Natalie is under my instruction not to come back here until I tell her that she can. Don't make me be the bad guy and keep her out of here until tomorrow...or even the next day."

Monk looked at Leland in disbelief at the notion of being apart from Natalie for that length of time. From the look on Monk's face, Leland was reasonably confident he knew what was going on inside his head.

"You're not in charge of my medical decisions anymore. You can't keep Natalie away from me," Adrian told him.

"You _sent her away_ because you didn't want her to _see you_ like this, Monk! Whatever _"this"_ is!" Leland challenged him. "Natalie thinks you're hurt!"

Adrian gestured angrily to the plaster casts on his arm and leg and surprised even himself with his tone. "I _AM_ HURT!"

It was the first time since his hospitalization that Leland heard Monk actually raise his voice in anger. But it wasn't just anger. He was furious.

"I _am_ hurt, Leland, and I'm going to go to Natalie's home and live with her for months because I can take care of myself _even less _now than I could take care of myself before. She's going to have to...help me with washing and she's going to see how..."

Leland interrupted him angrily. "How what, Monk?!" he yelled. "How much you've improved and how much you've gotten stronger since you've been here? How all the work you've done in therapy means that you're _alive?!_"

Adrian slammed his uninjured hand down against the sheets. _ Leland didn't understand. Natalie wouldn't understand. She would pity him, even more so than she did before_. _His heart had finally begun to open up to her and he knew that his heart couldn't take her pity_.

"The muscles in my legs aren't even...they don't look even," he tried to explain. "It's not right."

Monk looked like he was going to say more, but Leland wasn't having it, standing up from his chair so abruptly and so fast that the chair tilted a few inches sideways. He walked across the room to grab his jacket and looked back at Monk on his way towards the door. "I've always thought highly of you, Monk, but if you -" he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. " - if you think _so little_ of Natalie Teeger that you are so damned-sure convinced that she'll reject you because of what you look like after an attack where you saved her daughter from being killed, I don't know what to say to you. I am texting Natalie right now and sending her home. She'll be back tomorrow, if you're lucky."

Leland took out his cell phone in front of Monk and scrolled through his contact list until he found Natalie's phone number.

Monk looked at him in shock. "What are you doing?"

Leland started to type out a text. "What did I say? I'm texting Natalie."

_To: Natalie Teeger _

_From: __Leland Stottlemeyer _

_Message: GO HOME. HE'S IMPOSSIBLE. YOU'LL SEE HIM TOMORROW. _

Leland pressed send, and put the phone back in his pocket. But before walking out the door, he had one last message for his friend. "I hope that by tomorrow you've come to your senses and have stopped being an idiot. Have a nice night, buddy." Then he left.

"Leland, wait!" Adrian yelled. "Don't - please don't go! Text Natalie back and tell her it's okay now! Don't keep her away from me!" He leaned forward and instantly recoiled as a wave of red-hot pain coursed through his back and made his whole body spasm.

He closed his eyes to try to block the searing pain, grabbing onto the sheets tightly with his hand. He had no choice but to ride it out and wait for the breath-taking spasm to cease. Natalie was usually here when this happened but she was gone and Leland was so mad at him he might tell her never to come back. He breathed in deeply, waiting for the discomfort to abate, trying to visualize the pain leaving his muscles as Natalie had taught him; however, just as the tension began to release, his utter frustration began to bubble over.

Adrian slammed his good arm onto the bed four times in quick succession, each time harder than the last, releasing a loud cry that seemed to come from somewhere deep within him. He grabbed pillows from his bed and threw them across the room not caring what sort of mess they made or where they landed. Then it was anything that he could get his hands on. Tissue box. Magazines. Remote to the television. Cards from the guys at the station. Julie's card. Sheets. Natalie's favorite book that she had left on his tray table the day before. Julie's notebook of study notes. Everything went flying across the room, each movement causing a reverberating pain throughout his system, but he didn't care.

All of the emotion that he had bottled up over the past several weeks, all of the frustration at not being able to do the things he loved to do, all of the embarrassment at being utterly helpless in front of this woman whom he had wanted to impress with the gift of a simple watch just six weeks prior, it all came bubbling out like a torrential flood, sweeping away all civility and overflowing into one giant, messy whirlpool of anger and tears and pain and grief and exasperation and guilt.

Yes, guilt. He knew he had taken advantage of the situation with Natalie - mainly because he just really wanted her around. Anyone else would have hired someone. Not him. He had insisted that she go above and beyond in being his nursemaid 24/7 and it wasn't right. She was wearing herself out taking care of him, but was he taking care of her? Could he take care of her? Could he take care of her in life, like _this_? Oh, how he wished he was stronger. Oh how he wished he could just stand up and walk over to her and take away any burden she was carrying, tell her how much he...

"Adrian?"

Her voice cut through the chaotic tumult of his mind and immediately caused him to stop his arm from throwing his remaining pillow, mid-throw. He slowly set it down on his lap, wiping at his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking. But she was looking, her wonderful eyes filled with hurt and concern as she walked slowly into his room, carefully stepping over the various items he had thrown. She didn't say another word as she picked up her book and Julie's card and set them both on his table. The rest could wait.

"Natalie," he whispered, his voice catching in the back of his throat. "You didn't leave?"

"Leland can't tell me what to do," she murmured. "He can't keep me away from you."

"But...aren't you... aren't you tired?" he asked.

"It's only seven," she said. "I'll be okay."

His eyes brimmed with tears. "No. That's not what I mean. Natalie, aren't you tired of having me... just take over your life like this? I mean, talk about your diminishing returns. I can't do a single thing for you, and you're constantly called on to do things for me...Don't you need a break from all of this? Don't you need a break from me?" he asked.

Tears brimmed in her own eyes and she reached out and touched his shoulder. She didn't want to do more, not yet. "What have I done wrong to make you think that?" She shook her head. "Adrian, I don't need a break from you. It's gotten to the point that my life doesn't feel right without you. You put joy into my life. You make me feel alive. You make me happy again."

"How can you say that with a straight face? I can't bathe myself without help. I can't work. I can't go out on cases. I have to rely on you to bring me food, to clean up, to help me change my clothes..." he said.

"And I do it gladly. I do it enthusiastically. And I would do it over and over and over again if it meant helping you. Adrian, don't you - don't you know how much you mean to me? And to Julie? It's been the three of us together ever since Julie was eleven. Adrian, you're part of our family. We're here for each other, we protect each other, we tell each other everything..."

He looked down at the sheets and the mess he had made of his room.

"Adrian, don't shut us out. Don't withdraw into yourself over whatever is bothering you, when you have people who love you... very much...who only want to help. Please. Don't shut _me_ out and tell me I can't be with you. I won't accept that. Not after everything that we've been through." A tear rolled down her cheek.

Monk remained silent. He had been such a selfish wretch for so many years, and she had been nothing but patient and kind and encouraging to him, just as she was today. What on earth had he done to deserve her?

Here he was feeling incredibly sorry for himself and she had managed to, in three sentences, break down the last of his defenses to what really mattered, what was worth holding onto. Them. Their need for one another. Their love for one another. He knew it was there all that time, but he hadn't felt it quite so strongly as in that moment.

_This was a woman whom he could risk his heart with, whom he could trust, whom he could love._ He didn't think it was possible that it could happen twice in one lifetime, and it wasn't exactly the same love as he had for Trudy, but it was just as intense and just as special and just as real. That evening, there in his hospital bed, he knew as surely as he knew his name that he never wanted to be without his Natalie and he knew that _she_ was the one person with whom he wished to spend the rest of his life.

Her quiet voice broke the silence. "I'll respect what you want and I'll leave if you really want me to. But, Adrian... please don't make me go."

He said nothing, but simply looked her in the eyes immersed in their kindness. Slowly, he held out his hand to her, guiding her to his side. He did not send her away and she did not leave. Instead, he again invited her to lay down beside him, and so, she did. She took the pillow from off his lap and arranged it behind them so they could share, and he shifted off to the side make room for her. And they went to sleep. It truly had been a red-letter day for Adrian Monk, followed by a momentous evening. For that night, as he held Natalie gently in his embrace, he had not only made room for her in his hospital bed, but he had made room for her in his heart.

* * *

The two slept comfortably until the morning, exhausted from the trauma and the emotions of the day. Gone were the tubes and hoses and the big plaster cast that kept a safe, respectable distance between his torso and her body. Gone was the hospital gown, which laid awkwardly over his body, covering what it could. In its place were his familiar brown silk pajamas, sliced to accommodate the plaster casts that remained - leaving things much more natural, warmer, and much more intimate. And this was the feeling they felt at dawn's early light, when they both awakened over a sound in the hallway and found themselves closely snuggled up together, his left arm wrapped around her, her head on his shoulder and chest, her hand placed directly over his heart.

The sound made them both jump, and her first instinct was to look for what happened. But she found that he wasn't willing to let her go. With his left arm, he pulled her in even closer, and with his right arm, though broken, he completed the embrace, placing his hand on her elbow and nuzzling his face into her hair.

He loved this feeling, everything about it. The softness of her skin, the warmth of her body, the smell of her shampoo. The closeness of another human being, not just physically, but emotionally.

Natalie considered this new turn of events. _Was he opening up that long closed door and letting her in? Was there really a possibility of a future between him and her? _

Finally, he spoke, his voice a little raspy as it typically was first thing in the morning. What she wouldn't give to hear that voice every morning just like this. "Did you sleep well?" he asked quietly, not moving, still holding her in this very intimate position.

She smiled, and pressed her cheek even further into his chest, bringing her right arm around his torso and giving him a hug. "Very." she whispered, unwilling to break the spell of whatever this was with loud voices.

"Good," he whispered back, gently running his fingers through her hair.

They laid this way for another five minutes, until Natalie got up the nerve to ask him what she hadn't felt comfortable about asking him the day before when he was so upset. "Are you going to tell me what had you so upset yesterday that you would send me away?" she asked, rolling over on her stomach but still keeping his arm around her, resting her chin on her hands which were in turn on his chest. "You hurt my feelings."

He looked at her and sighed, his stubble-covered face contorting just slightly as he considered the question. He pondered for a moment and then decided, he might as well tell her. She would find out soon enough already. At least if she knew verbally before she saw, the blow could be softened somewhat.

"I just...well...it's like this..." he began, haltingly. "When I got into the de-casting room, or whatever they call it, I was very excited to be getting out of the body cast and to have an evaluation done of my progress. I focused on that solely and cooperated very well with the hospital staff in everything they asked me to do. You would have been very proud."

She smiled. "I am proud."

He returned the smile and continued to play with her hair, but then looked serious. "But then, while they were looking at the x-rays, they left me in the room and left me alone. I made the mistake of looking down and I...I saw myself... and...you might as well know, because you'll find out anyway..." he said, looking upset. He closed his eyes to allow time for the enormity of what was about to say to sink in. "I no longer match."

Natalie furrowed her brow in confusion. "You...you no longer match?"

"No. My legs. They don't match." he groaned.

She thought, then the light-bulb went on. "Are you talking about the muscle atrophy that happens when someone has been in a cast for a while?" She blinked. "You _knew_ that was going to happen, didn't you?"

He grew slightly flustered as he didn't feel like she was understanding the point of what was bothering him. "Yes...well...yeah, I had some sort of an idea that this would happen, but...not like THIS! For fifty-one years, I've been able to look down and see two perfectly matching legs. Now...they're uneven!"

Natalie shook her head and chortled an incredulous laugh. She hadn't seen this coming, not at all. Her lovable but eccentric boss that for as long as she'd known him never put on a show for anyone, was seriously struggling with the fact that she might see the after effects of his injury and somehow be - she wasn't sure. Repulsed? Repulsed enough that she would quit and walk out on him? "Adrian Monk...are you saying that you got all upset and in turn got ME all upset because of some vanity thing? You don't _match_ so I can no longer be around you?"

"Natalie! You don't understand. It's not vanity. I look like an _alligator_ with a _peg leg_! I couldn't let you see me that way," he tried to make her understand. "You wouldn't..."

What was a contained chuckle now became a deep and hearty laugh, the first major laugh he had heard from her in a very long time, six weeks to be exact. For her sake, he would tolerate it for now even if the laugh was coming at his expense.

"Natalie, it's not funny! It's not!"

She tried, but the more he spoke the funnier it seemed to her. Tears of laughter ran down her face.

"Are you finished now?" he asked, irritated. "Because if you are I would like to tell you -"

"Oh, Adrian, you're something else," Natalie grinned, looking up at him and smiling. "Do you seriously think I'm worried about that? When have I ever in my life -"

"Natalie, you don't understand. It's asymmetrical and scaly and, well... I'm ugly. I look ugly, and I didn't want _you_ to see me looking ugly," he finally blurted out, turning his head away from her so he didn't have to see the look on her face once what he had said registered in her brain.

Natalie stopped laughing. She sat up on her elbow and took the right side of his jaw in her left hand. "I don't want you to say those words ever again, do you hear me?" she told him fiercely. "Adrian Monk, do you hear me?"

"But I -"

"Stop it, stop talking right this minute," she ordered. Her voice softened at the look in his eyes, a look that broke her heart. She knew he had insecurities and fears about most everything, she just never, ever imagined his appearance would be one of them. "Do you have any idea on this earth about how handsome you are?" she whispered. "You have this strong, masculine jawline, you have those beautiful piercing brown eyes that I have to stop myself from getting...and those dimples in your cheeks when you smile, they make me...well, let me just tell you right now that they have an effect. On me. And I do not care one single little bit whether you have a peg leg or a pencil leg or no leg at all, there is nothing, nothing in this world that could detract from the incredible, wonderful man that you are. The man that I am so proud to have as my boss and as my friend. I don't want you to _ever_ say that you are ugly ever again. Or this time I really will quit and never talk to you again." She smiled after that last sentence to let him know she was kidding. She wasn't going to quit him, never.

"But..."

Natalie put her hand over his mouth. "Nope. No buts, Mr. Monk. It's true. Accept it. Besides, the minute you are able to soak your leg in some warm water, the scaliness will fall away and after a little while, with your physical therapy, the symmetry will return...but none of that matters to me," she assured him, softly.

"It doesn't?" His eyes displayed a combination of childlike trust and adult world-weariness that hurt her inside.

She reached forward and moved her hand from his jaw to his cheek. He didn't pull away and watched her closely. Looking at him watching her, she felt an almost irresistible urge to kiss him. Her breath hitched a little as her eyes went from his lips to his face. "No." she whispered. "None of that matters at all. The only thing that matters to me is _you_. And that you're here with me right now, with me like this, and that you're safe and improving by the day."

As her arm rested on his chest, she could feel that his heart was beginning to beat a bit faster, and she felt her own body being filled with a nervous excitement as well.

"Adrian, please," she murmured, focusing her attention back on his lips and touching them softly with her index finger. She spoke in a barely audible whisper. "Please. Don't ever...let me hear you...talk negatively...about yourself again...I won't..." She found that her voice started to trail off the more she looked at him. Her breathing became a little faster, as did his, as she found herself a mere two to three inches from his face. "I won't take it," she murmured, inching even closer to his lips to move in and complete what they both now so desperately wanted. Natalie closed her eyes. Her heart raced and she could feel his breath on her face.

But then it all stopped.

"Good morning, lovebirds!" the floor nurse called as she walked into the room with Adrian's chart and tucked it in its placeholder at the foot of his bed. Adrian threw both of his arms up in exasperation and Natalie buried her head in his chest and giggled. The nurse walked over to the windows, throwing open the blinds to his room to let the sun shine in. "Hope you both slept well. I have some good news for you today!" she said, as Natalie reluctantly left the warmth of Adrian's embrace and sat up in his bed.

"Good news?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Dr. Werner said he's pleased with Mr. Monk's progress and is going to sign off on his release this morning," the nurse said.

"What?!" Monk asked with excitement, leaning up on his good arm. "I'm going home?"

"Yes. Paperwork should be here by around ten o'clock. Thought I would let you know so you can make arrangements."

The nurse left the room as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Natalie and Adrian alone to ponder the exciting fact that he was finally well enough to go home - not to his apartment, but to Natalie's home, which was close enough. They also were left to ponder what had almost just happened between the two of them, the likes of which still had both of them feeling a bit giddy.

Natalie gave a slight gasp when Adrian pulled her back to his chest and had her lay back down next to him, running his good hand up and down her arm. She couldn't see his face so she couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking in that moment - his face was always expressive, his biggest tell - but soon enough she felt his other hand running through her hair.

"Home," he murmured excitedly, his breath on her ear. "I'm going home, Natalie. Home with you."


	14. The Ride Home

_Authors Note: We would just like to say a special thank you to Alex Hoodle, Dmander4483 & VL for your reviews. They are always an encouragement to us and we very much look forward to hearing what you have to say! If you liked the last chapter, stay tuned. Much more to come! ;) MNJ & KK06_

* * *

If Natalie thought Adrian was excited when he waited to get his spica cast taken off, that was nothing compared to how excited he was at the idea of going home. She had to hide her cell phone from him and purposefully keep the landline out of reach so he wouldn't call Leland before eight in the morning. Once, she'd even had to threaten to play Julie's musical card on a loop for five minutes to get him to stop asking if it was too early to call their friends. Neither of them brought up how the nurse woke them up that morning or what she had interrupted.

As per their request, Julie arrived at nine with a suitcase to take home the few personal items that Adrian had accumulated during his hospital stay. He watched her carefully as she zipped the musical card that she had made for him in a separate, smaller bag inside the suitcase so it would stay safe (and so it wouldn't get hit and start playing music).

Natalie was there to help him get dressed, assisting him with slipping into a pullover sweater that was stretchy enough to pull over the cast on his arm and, as she did every day, turning away while he struggled into a pair of custom-made trousers designed to accommodate casts, since he simply refused to wear shorts. Only when the trousers were pulled all the way up would Adrian allow Natalie turn back around and button them closed. She helped him put a shoe on his right foot (since his left foot was protected by the cast) and told Julie to check the tiny bathroom one last time to make sure nothing was left behind. They didn't want to come back here if they forgot anything. Adrian grinned at Natalie as her hand massaged his shoulders.

Julie finished packing Adrian's things, nodding each time Adrian told her to pack things a different way or not pack this thing next to that thing, and as she did, she became curious about her mother and his personal interactions. Natalie's daughter was no fool and noticed right away how they seemed to constantly be crossing into each other's personal space. She also noticed the way they looked at each other when they thought Julie wasn't watching. But, she decided it was just that they were so happy he was finally being allowed to leave the hospital for good. That was understandable. She didn't know how he survived being stuck in just this one room for so long with just her mother for company, since he didn't like watching television except channel ten and had refused to listen to her iPod no matter how many times she assured him she'd made a playlist just for him and he wouldn't have to listen to any of her music.

What Julie couldn't see was the swelling undercurrent of emotions which simmered just below the surface between her mother and Adrian. She had no possible way of knowing that Natalie had slept in Adrian's bed again the night before or that she'd woken up in his arms and that he wouldn't let her go, or that they had been mere millimeters and one interruption away from opening a door to a whole different kind of relationship. She also had no way of knowing that neither one of them could stop thinking about it.

* * *

Ten o'clock arrived and Leland Stottlemeyer and Randy Disher were right on time. Both of them congratulated Monk on finally breaking out of the hospital and neither one of them seemed to mind the excited phone call they'd received from Monk and Natalie at exactly 8:01 AM.

Despite his excitement, Adrian was a little nervous about seeing Leland because he wasn't sure what sort of reception he would get. He wasn't sure if he should expect friendly discourse or another chewing out, not that he didn't deserve the latter; but, Leland was almost as happy as Monk was when he had called. And when he and Randy arrived at the hospital Leland shook Monk's hand, something Monk hesitated only briefly about before returning the handshake. And he didn't even ask for a wipe afterwards. Other than that, Leland treated Monk as he usually did with no hint of anger at what had transpired the day before.

Monk now saw how he had been wrong in his assumption that just because he felt disgusted when he looked at himself, that everyone else, especially Natalie, would feel the same way. Her reaction was quite the opposite. She was a comfort and a joy and a better therapist to him that Dr. Bell himself could have been at the time. She was an assistant and a therapist and a friend all rolled into one _Natalie_ package. She was something else, was what she was- so wonderfully indescribable. And at times, he could almost imagine that she was his.

Of course, it didn't hurt one bit that she had laid beside him all night long, touching his heart in a way he'd thought had died fourteen years prior, along with his wife Trudy. Nor did it hurt that she had almost kissed him that morning or that she was the one to lean in and initiate. There _was_ that. And there was the fact that he almost let her, and the fact that he wanted it to happen and the fact that he was aching to be alone with her again, very, very soon on the chance that it might happen again. Oh, yes. There was _definitely_ that.

* * *

Dr. Werner stopped by for one last time while making his rounds around ten-fifteen. He thanked Monk for being such a good and compliant patient, something that none of his friends would have predicted, and he handed him an itinerary with the dates and times of his physical therapy and next doctor's appointments up until he expected that his cast would be removed. At that time the intensity of the physical therapy would increase with longer workout times, hydrotherapy, and evaluations by a certified physical therapist once a week to ensure that he remained on track. When the cast was removed they could go into further detail about what happened next. For now, Dr. Werner wished Adrian Monk luck, congratulated him on his recovery thus far, proclaiming him free to go.

Natalie watched as Adrian waited patiently while the doctor went through what was very important information, but she knew he was barely paying attention and wanted to go home. And at twenty-five minutes after ten, he got his wish and Leland wheeled him out of the hospital room and into the elevator, out the hospital doors and in the direction of valet parking. While Leland handed the attendant his keys, Adrian was able to take his first breath of fresh air in six weeks and feel the sunshine. All the while. Natalie's hand never left his shoulder and Adrian reached up to lay his hand atop hers.

Julie was the one in charge of all Adrian's discharge paperwork and prescriptions for medications, some that were needed that evening, and Randy was in charge of the suitcase. Adrian told Natalie he was watching Randy carefully to make sure he didn't drop it and set off Julie's card. Natalie stifled a giggle, praying her daughter didn't hear them.

When the parking attendant finally returned with Leland's car and Leland handed him a few dollars in thanks, Adrian felt Natalie's hand drop from his shoulder and he suddenly felt alone. But as he looked to see where she had gone, his spirit was renewed, for there she was as she always was, standing right by his side. She moved quickly to hold Adrian's wheelchair in place while Leland helped Monk maneuver into the backseat of his car and buckled his seat belt for him. Then she walked to the other side of the car and crawled into the backseat beside him while Leland and Randy put the wheelchair and Monk's suitcase in the trunk. Julie sat on Natalie's other side and Randy was in the front with Leland. Leland had given Randy a look as if to say, _give the kid the front seat, idiot_, but when he didn't take the hint, Leland merely sighed and put the keys in the ignition. It was finally time to go home.

As Leland pulled out of the hospital valet parking and turned to get back on the main street, he happened to notice through his rear-view mirror that Natalie and Monk were almost holding hands. And by almost he meant that he could see how Natalie had placed her hand on Adrian's leg and how he had nonchalantly slipped his hand underneath hers to where he could curl the tips of his fingers underneath her palm. He saw how Monk for the most part looked out the window at the cars going by for the first five minutes of the ride, but every so often his thumb would ever so gently stroke Natalie's hand. Leland smiled to himself. Yesterday's talk with Monk must have done some good.

"Let me be the first to say that I'm proud of you, buddy, for sticking it out this long under these circumstances and… for not driving us all crazy. For the most part."

Leland grinned when he looked through the rear-view mirror and saw Monk laugh at the joke. Adrian had gotten so much better over the last year in being able to take Leland's brand of teasing and sometimes, he could even give it back. Leland was getting his friend back, little by little. He never thought he would live to see the day, but the Adrian Monk that existed before Trudy died, was slowly beginning to emerge.

"Thank you, Leland," Monk said quietly. "Thank all of you for putting up with me. I couldn't have done it without my friends - all of you, even Randy. Really, you're more than my friends. You all are my family."

Natalie squeezed his hand and pressed her mouth to his shoulder for a quick, barely noticeable, kiss, before resting her head in the soft space between his neck and his shoulder. No one, not Randy or Leland or Julie, noticed when Adrian looked at Natalie and touched his forehead to hers, whispering, "And some, more than others."

* * *

They were now fully enmeshed in San Francisco traffic and had been at the same red light for five minutes when Randy began to feel a thump-thump-thump on the back of his seat. Julie started to giggle. Randy sighed in irritation but said nothing as the thumping continued. Julie laughed harder.

"All right, Little Teeger, hands and eyes at attention," Leland smiled in spite of himself. Julie's daughter to this day had never called him Leland, always Captain Stottlemeyer or now, Commander Stottlemeyer, so he liked to play up that role for her sometimes.

Natalie's eyes danced with laughter as she watched.

"What's going on back there, Julie?" Leland asked.

Julie burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, Commander Stottlemeyer. It's Adrian. He's…he's kicking the back of Captain Disher's seat."

Adrian just grinned as Randy twisted around in his seat and glared.

"Monk!" Randy whined. "Stop it!"

Natalie was the next one to start laughing when Adrian blatantly ignored Randy.

Leland glanced in the mirror and sure enough, Monk was proudly kicking the back of Randy's seat with his good leg. Leland almost laughed out loud. He hadn't seen Monk behave like an over-hyped child like this in years.

"Monk," he warned. "Do you want me to count to three like I used to do with Jared and Max when they were little?"

Adrian stopped and looked up innocently at Leland when the commander's eyes met his in the rear-view mirror. This time Leland did laugh. "Alright. What do you want, buddy?"

"Do you think we can stop for ice cream on the way home?" he asked.

"Ice cream! Cool!" Randy agreed. Immediately forgetting all about how Monk had been kicking on his seat moments before, he turned and gave Monk an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Randy looked over at Leland. "I'll second that motion. Can we, commander?"

Natalie laughed out loud at this interaction. "Both of you are grown men, why are we asking Leland for permission?"

"Thank you, Ms. Teeger," Leland said, making the left turn at the light as he continued to drive toward Natalie's house. "Why _are_ you asking me?"

Randy shrugged. "You're driving. It's your car."

Julie piped up from the backseat. "I could go for ice cream. We should be celebrating Adrian getting out of the hospital. And I got my boot off last week. And I'm doing the online classes that mom and Adrian wanted me to do."

"We solved that big triple-homicide two weeks ago," Randy offered.

Leland sighed and merged into the right lane to take a turn to where he knew there was a small grocery store. This was a big day for Monk, so for today and only for today, he would tolerate his two best detectives apparently reverting back to their childhood selves.

It amused him greatly to see Monk like this. "Don't say I never do anything for you guys," he muttered, pulling into the parking lot and turning off the ignition. "Go on and while you're in there get something for me, too. Mint chocolate chip if they have it."

Natalie took out her wallet and started to hand Julie some money for the two of them and Adrian, but Leland told her that wasn't necessary, Randy would be footing the bill for them all. Randy looked at Leland but didn't argue, and Natalie made a motion for Julie to go with him to help him carry everything.

The pair returned ten minutes later with five individual pint-sized containers of ice cream and handed each different flavor to the correct person. After the four of them looked at Leland, and Leland reluctantly gave them permission to eat in the car so long as they didn't make a mess, Randy caught his attention and motioned with his eyes from the rear-view mirror to the back seat.

Natalie was happily eating the first bite of ice cream from Adrian's container - with her own spoon, of course, but she was still eating his food - and Monk didn't seem to mind in the slightest. Leland reacted with a slight raising and lowering of his eyebrows, but otherwise kept his eyes facing forward.

Randy scrunched up his face in thought and wondered if any of the prescriptions Monk was taking included side-effects that tamped down the symptoms of OCD and/or germophobia. He decided to test him.

"Hey, thanks for this idea, man," Randy said, taking a big bite of his vanilla bean ice cream. "It's really good."

"Mmmhmm," Adrian said distractedly as he concentrated on taking his spoon and dipping it into Natalie's raspberry chocolate chip to get a perfectly rounded bite. "Very good."

"Glad you suggested it, Monk, but I gotta say I'm surprised." Randy continued.

Monk had just taken a big bite into his mouth so his answer came out muffled and garbled. "Surprised? Why?"

Leland, of course, had known where this was headed the moment Randy opened his big mouth and would have kicked him if his feet had been able to reach. Randy delighted in torturing Monk and Leland still had no idea why.

"Oh, no reason, just - have you ever looked at the ingredients list in ice cream?" Randy wanted to know.

Monk glanced up, suddenly suspicious. He looked over at Natalie. "No. I can't say that I have."

"Ah. Well, if you take this ice cream, for instance, just plain vanilla bean. Just regular, plain ol' ice cream." Randy held up the carton to where Monk could see it and he read out loud from the nutrition label for Monk's benefit. "_Skim __**milk**__, __**cream**__, sugar, cultured skim __**milk**__, vanilla extract, vanilla bean specks._ So basically, you're just eating frozen milk with sugar in it."

Leland sighed when he watched Monk make the saddest face he'd seen in weeks and look down at his cup of ice cream. He took the spoon out of the carton, held it out for Natalie to take, and began to put the lid back on the carton.

Natalie caught Leland's gaze and glared at Randy. She took the lid back off of Adrian's ice cream and pushed the spoon back inside. "No, Adrian. No! You were eating it and you liked it, do not let Randy stop you from enjoying your ice cream!"

"But, Natalie, he's right. It's frozen milk with sugar, the ingredient list mentioned milk and cream three different times. I hate milk."

"Why do you hate milk, Mr. M...uh, Adrian?" Julie wondered. "I always wondered that but mom said I shouldn't ask."

Adrian stared at Julie from across the backseat. "Do you know where milk comes from, Julie?! It's_ unnatural_!"

"That's udderly ridiculous," Randy quipped. This time it was a perturbed Natalie who kicked the back of Randy's seat.

"Imagine the germs," Adrian muttered.

Natalie grasped onto this new lifeline. Germs. She could work with germs as a reason. "Oh no! No, Adrian. There's where you're wrong. There are no germs!"

"What?" he asked.

"None at all, I promise. See, the milk was pasteurized which killed off most of the germs and then when they freeze it, it gets rid of the rest. It's as safe for you and the rest of us to eat ice cream as it is for us to drink bottles of purified water," she insisted.

Adrian looked incredulous and more than a little dubious of her claim and his eyes darted back and forth between Natalie and Randy Disher and finally, the ice cream. Natalie wouldn't lie to him about _milk_, would she? And the ice cream was very good, and it would melt if he didn't eat it, and Leland didn't want them to make a mess in his car.

He looked at Natalie and smiled, taking the spoon in his hand. "Hmm. Well, Natalie's been eating the ice cream and it hasn't killed her yet. Maybe you're right. Okay. I'll finish. You only live once, right?" And he dug his spoon right back into Natalie's ice cream and took a bite.

Leland cheered in his head as soon as he saw Monk face one of his fears and eat the ice cream knowing it was made from milk. _Good for you, buddy, _Leland thought as he continued towards Natalie's house. _Good for you._

* * *

As they traveled through traffic and moved closer and closer to Natalie's house, Julie reached into her pocket for her cell phone and ran into a piece of paper that had been given to her at the hospital. "Oh, Adrian, I almost forgot to hand you this. One of the nurses told me to give it to you."

Leland watched in the rear-view mirror as Natalie took the note, spreading the paper open on Monk's thigh so he could read it. Monk looked confused and Natalie looked – _well…_ in front of Julie, Leland didn't want to say exactly what Natalie's expression was saying, but it wasn't good.

"It's just a phone number," Monk said, perplexed. "There's not even a name."

Leland and Randy were both silent and then Randy started to laugh. He twisted around in his seat and pointed his ice cream-soaked spoon towards Julie. "Was the nurse that gave you that a woman? Um...Jackie...the pretty one?" Then he looked worriedly at Leland. "The one Sharona would be mad at me for if she heard me calling her the pretty one?"

Julie shrugged and Leland glared at Randy, muttering "Don't flirt with nurses when you're married and don't get ice cream on the floor of my car."

Randy laughed again. "Monk, that means that nurse _likes_ you and wants you to call her. It's a good thing, man. Trust me and Leland." Leland looked at Randy as if to say, don't drag me into this.

As they stopped at a red light, Leland looked into the rear-view mirror as Monk said "I don't want to do that." He watched as his friend then handed the offending paper to Natalie to get rid of and then observed as Monk carefully watched her face to judge _her_ reaction to the phone number. Adrian could tell Natalie wasn't pleased, so he sat back in his seat trying to think of something to say. "Besides, um, isn't that improper of her to do that to a man that already has a girlfriend?"

Every person in the car became silent and all eyes turned his way, including Natalie's. The sudden intensity of attention made him extremely uncomfortable.

"Well? That's what we _told_ them all…" he said in slight irritation. "That Natalie was my _girlfriend. _Right? That she's my _significant other_. That's what everyone believed the entire six weeks I was there. That's why they let her stay and sleep in my room, let her shower in the nice shower, let her give me my baths." No one saw how Natalie was blushing a deeper and deeper red the more Adrian talked. "Because Natalie told them she was my girlfriend."

Randy turned his face and body back forwards and looked out the windshield. "Yeah, that's what we told them, Monk, when we first got to the hospital and you were already there, because that was the only way they would talk to her and give her information about your condition since Leland was so busy signing consent forms about your surgery and medical treatments. It was either girlfriend or significant other or wife. I picked the least permanent options of the limited choices we had." Randy looked at Leland and the two exchanged a meaningful glance. "Monk, we never expected you to play along with it as long as you did. Honestly, I thought that you would freak out about it right away. Kinda weird that you never did."

Adrian and Natalie glanced sideways at each other and she smiled, suddenly shy, as she took the same position she had towards the beginning of the car ride and placed her hand on his leg. He smiled and looked forward, continuing to eat his ice cream, but then looked down at the container and did something completely out of character. He scooped up a bite from the carton and fed her a bite with his spoon. Leland saw as she grinned and took the bite, then saw as Monk took the spoon – _his_ spoon, and contentedly dipped it back into the container and ate the very last bite.

After finishing up, Monk looked around for a plastic bag to throw away the containers. Leland reached into his console and pulled out a small plastic garbage bag. "Here, buddy. You can use this to throw things away when you're done with it. Pass it around when you're finished," he instructed. Then he talked to Natalie. "I'll take that phone number too and toss it."

She didn't need to think twice before carefully re-folding the paper to Adrian's standards and putting it in Leland's hand.

Randy paused with a bite of ice cream halfway to his mouth. At the commander's look he quickly took the bite and swallowed before he spoke. "How come you get her phone number? I thought you and T.K were good together."

Leland immediately smacked Randy on the back of the head. "T.K and I are more than good, we're great. I was taking that piece of paper from Natalie so I could throw it away, I didn't want it for me. I love my wife very much. You moron."

Julie grinned at her mother and put one of her headphones in her ear, so she could listen to music but still be part of the conversations. "Mom. I see why you love going to the station every day. This is better than television."


	15. The Fall

The traffic was heavy as morning turned to afternoon and it took over forty minutes to travel the rest of the way to Natalie's house. They stopped once, for Julie to use the bathroom and for Leland to throw away the empty ice cream containers and the nurse's phone number. Despite the delay, Monk didn't complain once. He was free, and he was happy, and he was on an emotional high the likes that his friends had rarely seen.

Adrian waited happily in the car with Natalie while Leland and Randy retrieved and set up his wheelchair, which was then lifted, with him in it, onto Natalie's porch. While Randy dealt with the suitcase and Leland and Natalie talked about hiring a construction crew to build a ramp, Adrian wheeled himself over the threshold of Natalie's front door and looked around. He was amazed at everything she had done to ensure that he would feel comfortable and safe during his recovery and didn't know how he could ever possibly repay her.

Her familiar green couch was pushed against the wall and in its place at the edge of the living room was a hospital bed flanked by furniture which contained his pajamas, unmentionables, wipes, snacks, and other things that he might need. There was also a small refrigerator full of Summit Creek water, juice, and various kinds of fruit. There was a place for his clothes and a place for his shoes and adequate room for him to be able to park and get around in his wheelchair when needed. How she ever had time to plan all of this and take care of him too was beyond him.

* * *

Leland and Randy stayed at the house for an hour, Randy chatting with Monk and Julie while Leland talked with Natalie about anything else she might need for Monk's long-term stay at her house. He told Natalie to call him day or night if she needed anything and then left with Randy when they got called back to the precinct for a case. Natalie and Julie used the next half-hour to give Adrian an extended tour of the first floor of their house, showing him where everything was stored and even how Julie had moved most of the things he would need to a level that he could reach them. In the end, he felt humbled and blessed that they had gone to such lengths in order to make him comfortable.

* * *

The makeshift family spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together, Adrian eating a home-cooked meal in a real dining room for the first time in six weeks.

It was half past nine and the three were midway through their second movie when he looked at Natalie and saw that she was beginning to fall asleep next to him on the couch, her head starting dropping to his shoulder. She shook her head and blinked, trying to stay awake, but minutes later her head bobbed and she'd repeat the same action over again. Finally, when it appeared she had lost the battle, she laid her head on his shoulder and began to breathe deeper. Monk snapped his fingers to get Julie's attention, picking up the remote and calling for her to come to his side.

"Picture go stop." he said, in true Adrian Monk fashion.

Julie took the remote from Adrian and obediently paused the movie. Adrian looked down at Natalie and gently shook her awake.

"Mmmmm...what?" was her groggy, half-asleep response. Her head stayed on his shoulder, but she did her best to focus and stay awake for Adrian and for Julie. "I'm awake. Promise."

Adrian shook his head. "Julie paused the movie for me. We can finish tomorrow. You should go upstairs and get some rest, Natalie, you've had a long day and a long six weeks because of me. Please. It will make me feel better knowing you are sleeping well."

Natalie tried to say no but was betrayed by her yawn. "No, I'm okay. It's only nine-thirty. I'll -" She yawned again. " - I'll be okay."

"Mom," Julie laughed. "You're falling asleep on the couch. Adrian's home now and I'm sure he wants to get some sleep, too. He'll be fine if you go upstairs and go to bed now, we promise."

Natalie groaned when she looked up at Adrian and saw him nodding. She knew they were right and being able to crawl into her own bed did sound good right about now. "Not until we get you settled, Adrian. It's your first night here, I want to make sure you're all right."

Julie grinned and winked at Adrian, who gently pushed Natalie's head off his shoulder to force her to stand. He nodded his consent and Natalie, with Julie as her assistant, helped him up from the couch and into the wheelchair and then wheeled him over to his bed. Locking the wheels on the chair, they then repeated the same process as he made the transfer from chair to bed.

Natalie went to the nightstand to retrieve his pajamas and set them on his bed. Then Adrian sent Julie to the kitchen, instructing her to not watch, as Natalie helped him to remove his pullover sweater. They had perfected the science of getting him partially undressed and dressed in the hospital due to her helping him with his bath time. However, things were a little different this time since he no longer had the Spica cast covering his torso from his ribcage down and Natalie was able to see a lot more of him than ever before. She tried to take it in stride, but truthfully, if pressed, she would have to admit that seeing him without his shirt on gave her butterflies.

She reached over to the side of the bed and grabbed his pajama top. Unfolding it, she helping him to slip his right arm cast through the sleeve and then buttoned it for him to save him the trouble. His eyes never left her as she performed these needed tasks, and secretly he wondered what would happen if he leaned forward and completed what the nurse had so rudely interrupted early that morning; but, in the end, he chickened out.

She stood when she was finished, and just like when she was helping him in the hospital, he remembered to thank her and she patted his shoulder telling him that it was no problem at all. Even though he struggled and it would be so much easier with Natalie's help, he insisted that she leave his pajama bottoms where they were so he could do that part himself. There were some limits, after all, as to what was appropriate - especially considering that officially they were still employer and employee.

Before leaving, she unbuttoned the sides of his custom-made trousers so he could change after she had gone upstairs, and then instinctively leaned in for a hug, craving the closeness they hadn't had since falling asleep in each other's arms the previous night. Upon hearing they were wrapping it up, Julie took a peek from the kitchen in order to see if she could reenter the room. When she did, she noticed that rather than remaining stiff to a hug like he normally would, Adrian closed his eyes and held her mother tightly with both of his arms - lingering for just a moment before releasing her with a sweet smile.

"Get some good sleep," he said quietly as she backed away from him, keeping one hand on his shoulder as long as she could until the distance between them made it impossible.

"Good night, Adrian," she murmured. "You have a good night's sleep, too. If you need anything at all, I'm keeping my cell phone on my nightstand and my door will be open. Please call if you need me."

She called for Julie, and he watched them as they went upstairs. Only when he was absolutely certain that he was alone did he use his one good arm to maneuver into his pajama bottoms and settle himself into bed. It took a few minutes, but once he achieved victory, he folded the trousers and put them on his night stand, and then crawled under his sheet and blanket to try to go to sleep.

All in all, it had been a great evening, better than any evening that Monk had in recent memory, and it would have stayed that way except for the fact that nature called.

* * *

It was close to eleven o'clock at night and Natalie had been sleeping soundly for over an hour. Monk had seen Julie's light go out sometime around ten-thirty but still heard faint noises coming from her room so he knew she wasn't asleep. Everything was exactly as he had wanted it to be and he was quite content to lay there in the middle of her living room waiting for sleep to come, until - suddenly he needed to go.

Normally he wouldn't have this problem because, as Leland Stottlemeyer knew from a blatant display of male bravado in a game of 'who can hold it the longest', Adrian Monk had a bladder made of steel. But one of the medicines that his doctor had prescribed was a muscle relaxant that he was to take before bed, and once that medicine was in his system all bets were off.

It started as a slight pressure at first, nothing to cause him concern. But soon, Adrian found himself becoming very uncomfortable and wishing he had not had that last bottle of water. He looked at his cell phone, but didn't have the heart to call Natalie or Julie for help. And so, he made a decision to not wake them and disturb their much needed sleep. Instead, he determined that he would attempt to make his way to the bathroom himself to take care of his own business.

_That was his first mistake._

Getting into the wheelchair was tricky, but he coped with it pretty well. And soon, he managed to make his way to Natalie's bathroom door as well. Feeling proud of himself, he leaned forward and turned on the light then wheeled himself inside the room, shutting the door behind him.

Grabbing onto the sink with his left arm, he pulled himself up and then stood on his good leg allowing his bad leg to provide the balance he needed in order to do what he needed to do. He raised the seat, adjusted his clothing accordingly, then watched the ceiling as nature took its course. When he was done, he cleaned himself up, tugged his pajama bottoms back into place, and then on one foot reached over to flush the toilet.

_That was his second mistake._

As he leaned forward, Adrian suddenly found his entire body lurch sharply to the left, drawn towards the bathtub by the weight of a heavy plaster cast. Reacting quickly, he pivoted on his good leg, swinging the cast around and catching hold of a towel rack that was placed directly above the toilet. Still tottering on one foot, Monk's heart sank as he felt the screws in the towel rack let loose sending him careening through the air. His right thigh crashed into the tub and a jolt of pain went reeling through his body as he pitched forward, slamming his right cheekbone into the footrest of his wheelchair before hitting the floor with a thud.

He would swear he saw stars, but had no time to think about that since immediately after he fell, he heard the sound of feet hitting the floor and a door swinging open from what he assumed was Natalie's room from above, followed by the thump, thump, thump of someone running quickly down the stairs.

"Adrian?!" he heard her yell as he saw the lights to the living room turn on. "Adrian, where are you?! Are you okay?"

With a throbbing cheekbone still planted on the footrest, the last thing Monk wanted was for Natalie to see him in the condition he was in, so he raised himself up on his elbows and pushed the wheelchair up against the door, wedging it between the sink and the door so that she could not enter.

The handle of bathroom door jiggled. "Adrian? Adrian! Are you in there?"

He didn't answer at first, so she leaned her ear towards the door and knocked. "Answer me, please. Are you in there?"

"Yes." was his muffled reply.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He looked around for something to pull himself up with. The only thing within reach was the toilet seat. He reached forward his hand, but...he just...couldn't bring himself to touch...that. So, he stayed there on his elbows.

"I'm okay. Go back to bed," he mumbled. Wincing in pain as he turned his body around, careful to protect his leg and arm, and he laid on his back staring at the ceiling in her main floor bathroom.

"What was that sound?" she asked.

"What sound?" he asked, hoping she would give up and head back upstairs.

"That crashing sound from a few minutes ago. It sounded like something fell. Don't tell me you didn't hear that."

"Natalie, you worry too much. I said I am okay, and I'm okay. Stop worrying about me and go back to bed," he ordered.

Unconvinced, she got down on her hands and knees and peeked underneath the door. She couldn't see much, but she recognized the brown fabric of his pajamas and his curly brown hair parallel to the floor.

"Adrian! Open up this door! You've fallen!" she said, jiggling the door handle even more. "Open up!"

"Natalie, leave me alone and go back to bed. I'm fine."

"You are not fine. You're laying on the ground. Now let me in there!" she replied.

"How do you know that? Natalie Jane Teeger...were you _looking_?"

"Adrian! I'm not playing games! Open the door!"

Adrian was frustrated she wouldn't just leave him alone. His thigh hurt. His face hurt. He was pretty sure he had twisted his knee, and he was in no mood to lay there on the floor of her bathroom and argue about why he wouldn't let Natalie come in to see him in all his humiliated glory.

"No. I'm not opening the door. I said I'm fine. Now, go to bed."

Natalie slammed her hand against the door. "Adrian Monk, don't you talk to me that way. I'm telling you to open the door, right this minute!" she barked. "Now!"

"Geez, Natalie, I don't do this to you!" he replied.

"Do what?" she asked.

"I don't bother you when you're in in the bathroom! Now I'm telling you one last time to turn around and go back upstairs and get back in bed! I will be fine."

Natalie was quiet for a few moments, giving him hope she might have listened to him, but soon enough he heard her soft voice. "I'm not going anywhere. Now either you open that door, or I'm going to call the EMTs to come open the door for me."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Want to bet?" she challenged. "Don't try me. Now open up."

"No."

Natalie paused. "Damn...darn it, Adrian," she exclaimed with rapidly mounting frustration. "Open that door right now so I can see that you're okay!"

Adrian exhaled audibly and Natalie sighed in relief because she could hear through the door that he was alright, but now he sounded just as annoyed as her. It wasn't like she had locked _him_ out of the bathroom, she didn't know what _he_ had to be upset about. Sometimes Natalie didn't know who out of the two people in her life was more stubborn, Adrian Monk or her teenaged daughter.

"Natalie. If I wanted you to be in here, I would tell you so. I don't want you in here. I want you to go to bed. Now go back to bed and leave me alone! I'm not opening the door no matter how many times and how nicely you ask - even though you aren't asking very nicely right now."

Natalie huffed and crossed her arms, sliding down the wall in frustration and landing with a thud. Behind the bathroom door Adrian winced when he heard her and felt guilty when he heard the telltale sniffles that said she was starting to cry. Still, he didn't feel guilty enough to open the door. He couldn't.

Natalie, for her part, knew he was in there on the floor, more than likely hurt, and she knew he didn't want her to see him. He didn't want her in there with him and he had somehow blocked the door so she couldn't open it. Why wouldn't he let her in? Why didn't he trust her? He held her last night and they almost kissed that morning and he trusted her enough to let her undress and dress him each day, at least his upper half, but he didn't want to let her in to help him when he was hurt? That wasn't fair and she didn't appreciate it.

She opened her mouth to tell him so until she thought of a better idea. Time to call in reinforcements. She pushed herself up off the floor and went to the kitchen for her purse to find her cell phone. It was late and he was probably asleep, but he had told her to call day or night, so she picked up the phone and dialed the one man who seemed to be able to talk sense into Adrian when nobody else could.


	16. The Choice

Natalie tapped her foot impatiently, her eyes darting nervously back to the bathroom door, as she waited for Leland Stottlemeyer to answer his phone. When she heard it pick up, she blushed scarlet when a breathless T.K answered her husband's phone instead. Pushing past the embarrassment of what she had likely interrupted she stammered an apology for calling so late and said she needed to talk to Leland. It was about Adrian. Within seconds, the commander was on the line.

"Is he driving you crazy already, Natalie?" Stottlemeyer said, rubbing one hand through his hair and wiping the perspiration off of his forehead as he glanced over at his frustrated wife.

"He fell," Natalie whispered, somehow thinking Adrian could hear her from where he had barricaded himself in the bathroom. "Julie and I went to bed a few hours ago and got him in bed and I _told_ him to call me on my cell phone if he needed me for anything. Apparently he decided to ignore me and somehow got up and got himself to the bathroom by himself. I don't know what happened, but I heard a crash and he must have pushed the wheelchair against the door because it won't open. He yelled at me to go back to bed. Leland, he won't let me in and he won't let me help him. I didn't know what else to do so I called you. I know it's late and I'm so sorry to ask this of you..."

She heard Leland in the background telling T.K to get him a shirt and some jeans. Natalie had interrupted them, clearly. She cleared her throat and Leland came back to the phone. "I'll be over there in twenty minutes," he promised her. "Just - tell Monk not to move. And go back to the bathroom and talk to him. Make sure he stays awake. Do you feel like you need to call 911?"

There was another pause, as Natalie began to cry. T.K. told Leland to hold still so she could button his shirt.

"Don't cry, Natalie." Leland said. "He's just being stubborn - again. But once I get there we can check him out and see if he needs to go back to the hospital. He's going to be fine, I promise. I thought I got through to him yesterday. I'm going to talk to him again about how it scares you when he does this sort of thing."

Natalie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as Leland stayed on the phone with her for a few minutes longer and she didn't hang up until she heard him turn the keys in the ignition of his car. He'd be there as soon as he could.

* * *

It was thirty minutes before Leland arrived and walked up onto the front porch of the Teeger home. Raising his hand to knock, he was surprised when Julie opened the door before his knuckles hit the wood. Natalie had sent her to be the lookout, Julie explained, and she motioned with her hand for him to come into the living room.

"If it's alright with everyone, I'm going to go back to bed and leave you with all of the fun. I am meeting with some friends after breakfast tomorrow morning."

Leland nodded, but Natalie barely noticed when her daughter went back upstairs. Natalie was sitting in the hallway off of the living room, on the floor, cross-legged, facing her bathroom door. Looking up, she narrowed her eyes at Leland when she saw him, standing up and instinctively wrapping her arms around herself, tightening the belt on her robe.

"He's all yours, commander, have at it." She purposefully raised her voice for her next sentence so Adrian would surely be able to hear her. "I'm going back to bed. Upstairs. A completely different floor than the one he's on." She continued. "Enjoy your pity party, Adrian. If I wasn't so tired I might try a little harder to keep Leland from shooting you for interrupting his night."

Leland waited until he saw Natalie and Julie's lights turn off and then waited for five minutes for Monk to say something. If it was anyone else in the world, Leland would already have broken down the door to make sure they weren't dead. But he respected Monk's privacy and knew that Monk was smart enough to let Natalie help him if he was hurt badly, so Leland waited. Monk still didn't say anything. Leland waited a moment more and then thrust his closed fist against Natalie's bathroom door.

"I've got to hand it to you, buddy. Your first night out of the hospital and you managed to fall, scare Natalie and Julie to death, interrupt their sleep, and interrupt my night with my wife. You don't do anything half-assed, do you, Monk?"

Adrian's eventual response was quiet, mournful and despondent. "Natalie fell asleep at nine-thirty during the movie. She was looking forward to sleeping in her bed for the first time in six weeks without having to worry about me, and - I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. I wanted to make her life easier...and I made it worse. I do that a lot, don't I?"

Leland sighed. "Well, if you're going to feel sorry for yourself can you at least move your damn wheelchair so I can help you off the floor? I'm surprised you stayed there for so long with all the germs."

"Natalie keeps her bathroom clean. I told her I wouldn't agree to stay here if she didn't," Monk replied.

Leland's open palm hit the lower quadrant of the bathroom door, again. "Do you want to have to wake Natalie up again and explain how her house got all torn up? Because I swear to everything, I _will_ get a screwdriver and take the hinges off this door if you don't open up in five seconds - and I don't care what you look like in there."

"She already has a torn up house. I tried to grab the towel bar when I fell and it came down with me and now all of the parts are on the floor and there are holes in the wall where the screws used to be. It must not have been installed right."

"For the love of...open the door, Monk!" Leland snapped, having finally lost his patience. Monk wasn't talking, so Leland banged on the door again. "What happened, Monk? Did your pee miss the bowl and you made a mess? Is that your problem? You need new pajamas?"

Even through the closed door he could practically see Monk's face burning with embarrassment. Leland smirked. His friend was so easy to get upset and normally Leland wouldn't use Monk's phobias against him, but it was for everyone's good - Natalie's and especially his own.

Leland's voice got quieter. "Monk, you've got yourself a good woman upstairs that's worried about you. What's really the matter?"

"Natalie's upstairs worried about me?" Adrian echoed, muttering something to himself Leland couldn't make out. Within seconds, Leland heard the squeak of wheelchair wheels moving and the bathroom door opened a crack. Then for the first time in many years, Leland heard Adrian Monk curse.

Leland didn't hesitate to push the bathroom door open entirely and found Monk sprawled on his back on the tiled floor, cradling his uninjured arm to his chest. Already he could see the bruise forming on Monk's cheek and knew that his knee would be lucky if it was only spectacularly bruised. By the way Monk made a groaning sort of noise and shied away from him when he came towards him, Leland knew his friend was hurt so much more than he was letting on, yet he was equally sure that Monk's stubbornness was manifesting in his refusal to appear hurt in front of Natalie - again.

He shook his head and muttered a few words under his breath, words that Monk probably wouldn't like. "Yeah, when you do it, you do it up good."

Adrian stared at the ceiling, refusing to say a word, as Leland locked the wheelchair in place so it wouldn't move and then crouched down on the floor beside him.

"Alright, buddy, we need to get you up and make sure you don't need to go back to the hospital," he sighed.

"I don't need to go to the hospital," Adrian replied.

"Yeah, well, maybe not; but, we still need to get you checked out," he answered. "Okay. We're going to take this in stages. If this hurts too much, please tell me and we will stop until you're feeling better. Don't want to rush things. You okay to go?"

Monk nodded after some careful consideration of his dwindling options and Leland counted to three, carefully helping him to a sitting position. He winced.

Leland inspected Monk for injuries and determined that he would be the proud owner of some new bruises in the morning but he didn't seem to have done permanent damage and then Adrian spent the next few minutes taking deep, measured breaths to block out the sudden pain that merely sitting up brought. Leland filled a small cup with tap water and ordered him to drink it even if it wasn't Summit Creek (something Monk reluctantly did after seeing that look on Leland's face). After some time, when the water was gone, he assured Leland he was fine and they could continue.

Leland stood up and with utmost care brought Monk to a standing position with him, bearing the most of Monk's weight as he helped him to the wheelchair. Once Monk was safe in the chair, Leland lowered the toilet seat and sat down, his head in his hands. Adrian looked at him curiously but waited patiently, until he could stand it no longer.

"There are hundreds of germs on a toilet seat. You shouldn't be sitting there."

Leland stayed right where he was. "Monk, you're lucky you're not on your way back to the hospital right now. You could have seriously hurt yourself. There's no point in staying with Natalie if you're not going to let her help you."

Adrian bowed his head and said nothing at all as Leland for the next five minutes lectured him about letting his pride get in the way of common sense and told him a dozen other things he already knew. He didn't try to defend himself because he figured that he deserved it. What he did was foolish and dangerous and he felt foolish and embarrassed for having attempted it. But, in his heart, he knew that his intentions were good. He only desired to be less of a burden to Natalie. She was taking care of ninety percent of his needs, why couldn't he just do this one thing for her? She was so tired. She had been such a trooper for the past six weeks. He just wanted her to have a good night's sleep and to see her looking refreshed and happy in the morning so he could see her smile, and maybe later even hold her. Some night's sleep. His little trip to the bathroom and his fall had jolted her out of her comfortable bed and to top that off he'd insulted her and made her cry by refusing her pleading offers to help. He felt like a total jerk, so if putting up with one of Leland's lectures was his penalty – so be it. He owned this and would take whatever consequences it brought.

* * *

Leland stopped lecturing him and asked him if he was ready to get out of the bathroom and go back to bed. Adrian nodded.

Leland looked suspiciously at his friend. "You sure you don't have to go potty again?"

Adrian grimaced and twitched his shoulder on his uninjured arm. "That's something I don't think I'll ever do again."

"Well, that's going to be a pretty uncomfortable life, there," Leland laughed. He wiped his hands on one of the bathroom towels before touching Monk's wheelchair. Heaven forbid, Monk's cleanliness habits were rubbing off on him. "Watch your leg, buddy, I'm going to round this corner."

It took a good ten minutes for Leland to help Monk get properly situated back into his bed, mostly because Monk kept stopping him and telling him that how Leland was doing things wasn't the way Natalie had done them, but as soon as Monk was settled, Leland retrieved a chair from the kitchen and brought it back to the living room. Flipping it around so that its back faced Monk's bed, Leland straddled the seat. Unbeknownst to either of the two men Natalie had opened her door and slipped quietly out of her bedroom to make sure Leland was still there and everything was okay with Adrian. Quietly, she sat at the top of her stairs and listened as the two longtime friends talked.

"Monk," Leland said seriously. "You know this is not sustainable, don't you?"

Monk stared. "What isn't?"

"This thing you're doing with Natalie, buddy, this situation you've got going on here. You allowed her to sleep in your bed in the hospital and you let her give her your baths. And now you're staying here while you recover. I'm just trying to tell you that - look, you're either in or you're out with her, do you understand what I'm saying? There is no in between. You're going to have to choose and decide what it is that you want."

Monk stayed quiet, his mind going back to that morning when he'd held her in his arms and they'd almost kissed. Mentally, he began to argue with himself that it wasn't right, as much as he had wanted it to happen, because after all, she was his employee and he was her boss. Right? _There were rules about that sort of thing - you still believe that. Right? _Somehow, his inner voice was not convinced. In any regard, it was too late at night for this kind of lecture from Leland Stottlemeyer of all people.

Leland's voice was quiet enough that Natalie had to listen closely to hear. "Do you hear me, Monk?" he pressed. "You are very fortunate that aside from a few dings and bruises, the only thing that was seriously hurt tonight was your pride. You've got yourself a good thing here and the last thing I want is to watch you lose it all because you're being stupid."

Adrian finally said something. "What do you expect me to say, Leland?" he whispered, hoarsely. Leland hadn't heard that emotional weariness in Monk's voice in a little over a year. He'd been so much happier and more confident in all aspects of his life since Trudy's murder was finally solved, but now he seemed to struggle. "I don't know what to do here...this isn't an easy thing for me, you know."

"It should be," Leland said, his own voice barely audible to Natalie. "If you would just open your eyes to what's happening between the two of you and stop talking yourself out of it, it should be one of the easiest decisions in the world." He paused, then continued. "I'll ask you a simple question, my friend: how do you feel?"

"How do I feel about what?"

Leland grunted in exasperation. "For Pete's sake, Monk, what do you mean, how do you feel about what? How do you feel about the situation you've been tiptoeing around for the last two months... or hell, since Julie graduated high school?! I mean, you're buying her extravagant gifts…"

Adrian blinked. "It was a watch, Leland."

Leland rested his arms on the top of the chair. "It was a very nice watch, that you took the time to _design_ yourself. Listen to me, buddy, T.K and I have been married for over a year and I love her with all of my heart, but not once have I even thought about custom-designing her a watch. It would never have even occurred to me. But it was something you took it upon yourself to do for Natalie and you wanted to surprise her with it as a gift. People who are just casual friends don't do that sort of thing, Monk. You wouldn't design a watch for Randy, would you?"

Monk was silent so Leland pressed forward. "So, let's try this again - how do you feel?" Leland asked.

He lied, his face betraying the deception. "I - don't know."

"I think you do know," Leland replied. "I think you do know but you won't admit it to me, much less yourself. There's a big difference in not knowing and not saying."

He looked directly at his friend. "Adrian," he said firmly and with the use of his first name for the second time in as many weeks, Monk forced his gaze up to look at Leland. "Tonight, at 11:15 PM, I got a phone call from a distraught young lady who was worried over your sorry self. She's seen you in every imaginable shape, in all sorts of predicaments, most of your own doing, just like tonight. She gave up any semblance of a life for herself for the last six weeks to care for you in the hospital and she did it with a smile on her face the entire time. But for some reason, tonight, you couldn't or wouldn't talk to her but you could talk to me. Why is that?"

"I was embarrassed," was his sullen admission.

"Yeah, I could see how doing a face-plant in the bathroom could be embarrassing, but this is _just_ Natalie, Monk. She's _just_ one of the guys. Isn't she?" Leland only raised an eyebrow when he could see that Monk was uncomfortable with that question. "That's what you said she was. Is that not true anymore?"

Monk grew quiet again. "You know she's not. She's different."

"And why is she different, Monk?"

"Come on, Leland!"

Natalie recognized the exasperation in Adrian's voice even from all the way up here. He must have realized he had been too loud and maybe his exclamation might have woken Natalie or Julie, because he got quieter. "I told you that I don't know. I - don't know much of anything right now. But I really don't want to deal with this any more tonight and I think it's time you went home to T.K. I've had an exceedingly hard week, as you know. I'm grateful you came over and helped me off the floor. Please apologize to T.K. for me. I'm tired now and need to get some rest. So…thank you. Thank you for your help, and…I will see you later."

Leland shook his head and stood up, touching Monk's shoulder in a silent apology for perhaps pushing his friend too hard before he was ready. "All right, buddy. Just remember what I said. You're either _all in_ or you're _out_. Can't be both. It wouldn't be fair to Natalie and it wouldn't be fair to you. Get some sleep. I'll touch base tomorrow."

Natalie quickly and quietly stood up and slipped back to her bedroom and waited for the sound of the front door closing and Leland's car driving away. It was a long time, however, until she saw Adrian's desk lamp light click off.


	17. The Confession

_Author's Note: Wow! Thank you all so much for your reviews and kind words! They are so exciting to read and a real encouragement to us as writers. Special thanks to Alex Hoodle, Dmander4483, VL (Greetings from America to our French reader!), LJD21690 (Welcome) and the unregistered "Guests" for your feedback. We're so happy you are enjoying this series, and we hope that you like this chapter and what's to come! Love hearing from you all! MNJ and KK06._

* * *

Natalie woke up the next morning to the sound of two people in her kitchen and the smells of freshly-brewed coffee and bacon, and when she rolled over and caught sight of the clock on her nightstand she realized it was half past ten. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept that long.

Slipping out of bed, she ran a brush through her hair and tugged on her robe, tying the sash as she walked down the stairs. Julie was making breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast, the works - and Adrian was dressed, well, dressed in his robe, drinking the coffee Julie made for him and reading the paper. It wasn't that much different than her coming to his apartment any other morning.

Her daughter was the first to see her and cleared her throat and nodded towards the stairs to let him know her mother was awake. Adrian looked up at Julie and nodded, then continued to read the newspaper.

Julie shrugged in response to her mom's unspoken question. "Morning, Mom. How do you want your eggs? I'm already doing them two different ways because Adrian doesn't want them scrambled, so doing a third isn't any more work."

Natalie thought for a minute. "Actually, sweetie, I appreciate you going to all this effort and Adrian does, too, if he hasn't told you that already. But, I'm not that hungry this morning. Maybe just some pieces of bacon and a piece of toast. With jam on it, please?"

"One bacon and toast-with-jam special coming up!" Julie reported, saluting her mother and dropping two pieces of bread in the toaster. Adrian didn't look at Natalie but used his hand to move the jar of strawberry jam closer in her direction. Natalie furrowed her brow in confusion. Was he still so angry that he wouldn't even acknowledge her?

"Good morning to you, too, Adrian," she tried. When she came around his side of the table and stood by his right side, he tilted his head down towards his shoulder and brought the newspaper close to his face. "How are you?"

His only response to her was a quiet "Good morning, Natalie."

Natalie pulled up a chair and sat beside him. "How long did Leland stay last night? He was still here when I went to bed."

He lowered the paper only enough for her to see the top of his normally-expressive brown eyes that right now were giving her very little, and told her that he sent Leland home around one. Then he lifted the newspaper again and continued to read.

Natalie rolled her eyes. Adrian was quiet on the best days but this was ridiculous. "Clearly you didn't go back to the hospital, but come on, you've got to give me something. Did Leland say anything was hurt?"

"Besides your bathroom? My ego, mostly."

She laughed. "Yeah. Well, I guess it is a little embarrassing to have to spend a perfectly good evening laying down on the bathroom floor. Bet you're glad I cleaned in there."

"I am. Thank you," he responded.

"Oh, for goodness sake Adrian!" Natalie exclaimed, sticking her hand in front of the newspaper page he seemed so determined to read. He attempted to push her hand away telling her he was reading an article about the resolution of a crime he and Leland had worked on months ago.

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You don't read the newspaper like that, Adrian, and even if you did it wouldn't take you this long to read one article. Now, let me see your face." That last sentence was an order and not a simple request. She finally took the newspaper out of his hand and set it on the table. He immediately ducked his head and she put her left hand under his chin. "Look at me, Adrian." Her voice was more gentle, but still firm. "Please."

Even Julie had long-since forgotten about the eggs and the toast and was watching them curiously, only turning away when the toaster beeped and the skillet sizzled.

He refused to meet her concerned gaze but she threatened to call Leland to come back over and he sighed in frustration, raising his head to look directly at her.

The sight of Adrian Monk with a swollen cheekbone and black eye, looking like he had just been on the wrong side of a street fight, was so out of the ordinary to her that it was funny; but, she knew better than to laugh. He was hurt and embarrassed and either one of those things would have been enough for her to feel sorry for him but she knew him well enough to know that the last thing he wanted from her was her pity or her laughter. She bit her lip.

"Go ahead. I treated you horribly. I wouldn't blame you if you laughed." He twitched his neck and once again refused to make eye contact.

Natalie touched his arm, her fingers idly tracing her name on his cast. "You're hurt. Why would I laugh at you if you were hurt? Let me go get you some ice to get that swelling down."

Julie was one step ahead of her and handed her a frozen ice-pack from the freezer, Natalie walking back to Adrian and instructing him softly to hold still. She sat down again next to him at the table and applied the ice-pack to his swollen face. His own hand reached up to take over holding the ice so her hand wouldn't be cold while she ate her breakfast and their hands touched during the transfer. It was an instantaneous shock of electricity that surprised them both and their eyes met, until finally Julie leaned in between the two of them to set Natalie's breakfast in front of her. Natalie pulled her hand away and lowered her head to the table. Adrian watched her and filed it away for later consideration that a slight blush colored her cheeks.

* * *

Julie left to visit her friends after breakfast and Natalie helped Adrian get dressed. She noticed how he always looked away from her and never met her eyes when she tried to initiate conversation but figured he was still a little embarrassed about the night before and she was willing to give him the time he needed to figure things out.

Leland had texted when Adrian was in the bathroom about meeting at the station that afternoon: they wanted Adrian's input on a case that involved the governor's daughter and her recently-dead boyfriend. Natalie was willing to give Adrian time to stew in his embarrassment but within reason, she didn't expect to be ignored by her boss all day and especially not when they were working on a case. It turned out she didn't have to worry.

Everything was fine as soon as they got to the station, especially once Leland pulled Randy away when Randy started to tease Monk about what the heck happened to him last night. Just being in the thick of things again, even if it was in a wheelchair, did wonders for Adrian's well-being and temperament.

The rest of the afternoon at the station went well, Monk getting a taste of the life he was used to and even getting to go out into the field at a crime scene. He didn't go far, hampered by the limitations of his wheelchair. But it was no matter. Natalie served as his hands, walking to areas of evidence that he had uncovered and carefully collecting items to place inside the specially marked evidence bags. While she was climbing over one pile of rocks, she found the shell casing that would ultimately end up solving the case.

Leland watched Monk, partly to make sure he stayed safe and didn't push himself too hard the first day, but mostly to see how he interacted with Natalie after their little talk. He observed Monk's gaze as it never left Natalie's body while she crouched down in the dirt in her high heels to collect a sample with a pair of tweezers Adrian had handed her. Leland grinned. Seemed like Monk might have decided after all. It had been a long, long time since Leland had seen that particular look in his friend's eyes - fourteen years, to be exact, when Trudy was still alive - and it was telling. But, not as telling as the sudden darting away of Monk's eyes when he realized that Leland _saw_ him looking and he knew he had been busted.

* * *

The case was solved by early evening and Leland sent them home, saying they could do the paperwork in the morning. Adrian figured that Natalie would take them back home and, once Julie was home, they would all have dinner together. But in all the years he'd known her Natalie was nothing if not unpredictable and she stopped by an Italian restaurant to get dinner to go for the three of them. They also made a stop at a department store because Natalie insisted she needed to pick something up for him for tonight. She told him he could wait in the car with the food and she'd be back in no more than ten minutes. She promised.

"That was ten minutes and fifty-four seconds," was the first thing he told her when she returned to the car.

"I'll do better next time," she laughed, as she handed him the bag to put down on the floorboard next to the food. Instead he immediately started to rifle through the shopping back for the brand-new pillowcase he asked her to buy for him. He held up an object that decidedly wasn't a pillowcase and looked accusatory at Natalie. "Why did you buy a baby monitor? Julie's too old to need one."

At the red light, Natalie swallowed and looked at him nervously. "It's for you. I just thought that -"

"I don't have a baby, Natalie."

"Well, let's _hope_ not." she smiled.

He scowled at her attempt at levity.

"Why are you buying me a baby monitor?"

"To use it like a baby monitor. I want to put it on the shelves next to your bed when you sleep. I'll have the other unit in my room. That way, if you were to get in trouble again or you need any help…"

"Natalieeeee," he whined. "If Randy or Leland knew about that they'd never let me hear the end of it. I'm not a baby!"

"So why is it that you want to act like one?" She only raised one eyebrow. "We had a deal, mister. You were supposed to call me if you needed help. I could have helped you get into the bathroom and I even would have stood outside the door if you didn't want me in there with you. But you wanted to be a tough guy and do it yourself and look what happened," Natalie told him.

He didn't answer, and for the next three blocks he crossed his arms and looked out the window, pouting. Privately she thought it was adorable.

"You want me to rest well, don't you?" she finally asked. "I'm no good to you or to Julie if I don't."

He looked at her, an expression of quiet hurt in his eyes. "Natalie, yes, of course I want you to get rest. You've been working too hard. I - I've been working you too hard."

"It is what it is, and I wouldn't change it for the world. You know that. But you also know that I will rest better if you do this for me. You are going to sleep with that monitor close to your bed so if something should happen that you need me, I'll be able to hear you and can come help you. No one will know except you and me. We can put it somewhere that Julie won't see. Is that okay with you?"

It still wasn't alright with him but he would say yes for Natalie's sake. "Okay," he murmured. He got quiet for a few moments. "I'm sorry."

Natalie glanced over at him as she drove. "For last night or for something else?"

"For being an idiot last night. I just didn't want to disturb you because you were so tired and I knew you needed your rest. I thought I could do it on my own, but then I lost my balance and destroyed your bathroom."

She remained quiet, touched by this moment of honesty. He rarely if ever apologized to her and she for sure wasn't going to interrupt him now that he was. She wondered exactly what Leland had said to him.

He continued his apology. "I'm sorry I didn't let you in. It's just, it's like this…I didn't want you to see me like that. I didn't want to put the mental image in your head to where when you think of me, all you can picture is me sprawled out on my back in between the toilet and the bathtub with my knee twisted to my side and the imprint of a footrest on my face."

She snickered, then touched his hand. "I hope you know me better than that and know the high regard I have for you. I don't care if you're walking around or in a wheelchair or sprawled on the ground, nothing can diminish how I feel about you. Nothing. So, don't worry. And don't worry about me. If you need me, I'm here. Unconditionally."

* * *

The Teeger-Monk household spent their second evening together and it was very nice, even Adrian thought so. They watched a movie and they played a new game Julie had bought specifically for him that Adrian tried hard not to ruin by solving it in the first five minutes. Natalie soon caught on to what he was doing and winked at him, causing him to look down at the table. Julie ended up winning the game with much jubilation.

Afterwards, Natalie waited outside in the living room while Adrian took fifteen-minute maximum timed shower (utilizing plastic bags to keep his casts dry and a newly installed safety bar that she had her neighbor put in for them while they were out that afternoon). Julie talked both of them into watching a television show she wanted to watch that wasn't on channel ten and Adrian enjoyed it even though Julie spent most of the half-hour explaining the show and the humor to him. Natalie winked at him again over the top of Julie's head and Adrian smiled at her. When at last it was time for the three of them to go to sleep, Julie wished him a good night's sleep ("...the whole night, please!" she said as she begged him not to wake her up again) and went upstairs. Adrian promised Natalie when they were alone that he had learned his lesson and had no desire to be chastised by her and by Leland again so if he needed anything he would call her, and for her part she promised him she would try not to worry too much.

She watched him turn on the monitor and gave a satisfactory nod of approval, waved goodnight and went upstairs to her room - curling up comfortably in her own bed. Unfortunately, or fortunately for her, her mind would not stop. She could no longer **not** think about that night in his hospital room and that morning when she'd almost kissed him and he'd looked like he might let her. But she'd eavesdropped last night on him and Leland talking about her and when Leland asked Adrian how he felt about her and Adrian said he didn't know. Maybe that was the truth. He'd been a one-woman man for so long and had been devoted to Trudy for the last nearly fourteen years after her death, it was only natural he would be confused at having any type of feelings for another woman. Natalie wanted him to be happy. even if it wasn't with her. But in her heart of hearts she was disappointed that _I__ don't know _was all he could think of to say to Leland when his best friend of thirty years presented him with such a direct question.

It was true, sometimes he could be the most frustrating man in the world, but she adored him. And the more he was around her, the more she found herself wanting to be closer to him. She chastised herself for feeling the way she did, and worried she was going to break her own heart. Finally, she grew tired enough that she wanted to go to sleep. Pushing these thoughts to the back of her head, she focused on her breathing in order to relax herself enough to do just that.

She had almost succeeded when she heard the first sounds in the monitor.

* * *

It was soft at first, almost a whisper. But she could hear him saying something quietly and wasn't quite sure if he was talking in his sleep or maybe reading out loud. She looked through her open bedroom door and his lights were off, so she assumed he was talking in his sleep. The sound continued, and then he laughed. Curiosity got the better of her, so she got out of bed and snuck out of her room, making her way down the stairs to see what he was suddenly so chatty about.

She hadn't known him to talk in his sleep in the hospital, but then again, there were nurses in and out of the room all the time, so he scarcely got a chance to dream. But he was talking that night, and it appeared he was having a wonderful time.

She went to the kitchen and filled a small glass with water, just to have something to point to in case she got caught. And then she walked over to him and stood, watching him, listening to him verbalize things she could never imagine him saying.

His face looked as relaxed as she had ever seen it and he smiled as he made casual conversation just as if someone else was there with him in the room.

"I've missed you, darling," he said quietly. "I've missed having you by my side. I've missed our walks. I've missed your smile…"

Natalie listened and was both touched and crestfallen. Trudy had come to him in his dreams, as he had often told her that she did, and it was clear to her that Adrian was where he wanted to be right now, where he felt happiest. She wanted that for him, honestly she did.

But, what did that say about his relationship with her? Was she nothing more than his assistant, sometimes his friend?

"Have I ever told you how beautiful I think you are?...No?...Well, please indulge me. I love the way your hair falls just so and brushes against the side of your cheek and your beautiful eyes...and...your succulent lips...What? Oh, yes, my darling. I do want to kiss them. I want to kiss you now and never stop kissing you…forever."

Natalie's eyes filled with tears and she hoped that Trudy Monk knew how lucky she had been when she was alive. She hoped that Trudy had always treated Adrian well because Adrian had clearly always been devoted to her. Adrian loved Trudy in life and in death and he would never be over her, never have room for another woman in his life. Natalie had known this all along, ever since she started working for Mr. Monk seven years ago, and she wanted to give herself a stern talking-to for ever thinking otherwise. That almost-kiss in the hospital had been nothing more than heightened emotions and his need for human contact. That was it. Natalie wiped her eyes and forced herself to stay there and stay strong with the knowledge that at least now she knew for sure. She could get past this and she could continue to work for this man. He was too important to her and to Julie for her to walk away.

"What? Oh no you don't. I don't think so. You're not going anywhere. You don't just get to come in here looking so...dare I say..sexy... and think you're going to slip away from me…" he breathed. "Get over here. Closer." Natalie blinked back the tears. His voice shifted to a breathless-type of growl she had never heard before. One, no doubt, that only Trudy ever had. "Please...please stay with me. Let me love you. It's been so long. Let me hold you. I've missed you so much. You're everything to me."

Natalie started to cry. This was too much and she felt as though she was intruding on an intensely private moment but she couldn't make herself walk away. Why she was torturing herself this way, she didn't know. She needed to leave. She wanted to leave. From the look on Adrian's face and the quickness of his breathing she knew that his dream was getting to that point of no return. She needed to leave, **now. **But her feet refused to obey her brain screaming at her to move.

_Come on Natalie, move your feet! One foot in front of the other, it's not that difficult. You learned how to walk when you were one!_

"Sweetheart, please," she heard him moan. "Please let me...I want you. I want you so much I can't think about anything but you."

_You don't have to listen to this, Natalie. You've heard enough. Just leave_._ This is NOT what the baby monitor was supposed to be_ _for!_

"It's been you since the day we met, sweetheart. It's always been you. I need you, my darling."

Her heart raced as fast as she correctly assumed his was. She did not want to be here to hear the rest of this. She needed to go back upstairs, she needed to get away from him.

"No, my love, don't go. Please...please stay with me, forever. Natalie - my beautiful Natalie Jane, I love you so very much. I don't mean to confuse you. I'm all in, Natalie. Please stay with me - forever."

Natalie's world suddenly came to an abrupt stand-still and she gasped at hearing not Trudy's name on his lips and his heart, but hers. So shocked was she at hearing him say all those things about her - her! - that she dropped her glass of water on the wood floor.

The sound jolted Adrian awake, wide-eyed and heart racing at the first time he'd had one of those dreams since he'd been married to Trudy, and the first thing he saw was Natalie standing at the edge of his bed. Her eyes were wide with astonishment and her mouth open as she stared at him.

_Why is Natalie here, and why is she looking at me that way?_ he asked himself desperately as he tried to focus on what was going on and slow his quick-beating heart down from its nocturnal fantasy. _Did I say something? Oh no! I'll bet I did. What did I say? What did she hear?! Say something! Say something!_

"Uh…hi!" he managed to squeak out, still trying to calm himself down.

"Um…hi…I'm…um…sorry if I woke you…I uh, went to get some water…" she said, walking back towards the sink in the kitchen and tripping over both her feet and her tongue as she went. "And, I spilled it right there. On the floor. By...um...by...your...um...your...what's it..." she stammered.

"Bed?" He looked down and for a reason he couldn't identify at that moment, he blushed.

"Yeah! Um, that's the word. Your bed! I was just - um, getting water...water's good."

_Water's good?! What kind of moronic statement is that Natalie?_ she thought. _Play it cool. Maybe he won't know._

"Again, sorry if I woke you up." She said, placing a fake smile on her face.

He looked at her confused. _Why is she smiling? What on earth did she hear? Oh crap! What did I say?_

"Um…that's okay. Don't fall," he told her, as she got another cup from the cupboard and filled it full of water.

She gulped the water down quickly and exhaled a satisfied sigh. "Yep. Water. Good! Very…um…good." Taking a paper towel from the sink she bent down and cleaned up the water at the edge of his bed, then threw the towel away.

"Guess it's time to go back to sleep. Let me know if you _want_ any...er..._need_ any...um, call me if you're not okay," she said, walking backwards towards the stairs. "Goodnight."

In his head, Adrian was now saying words that he normally wouldn't say, particularly in polite company. But, externally, he tried to stay nonchalant and merely nodded his head. "Goodnight, Natalie."

If there was one thing that Adrian Monk was known for, it was his memory. That memory applied to every aspect of his life, including his dreams. He remembered every detail of that dream he had just had and believed firmly that not only had he talked in his sleep about it but judging by the way she was acting, Natalie heard it all. He buried his face in his hands in embarrassment. What on earth was he going to do now? What on earth would tomorrow bring?

* * *

Natalie's feet hit the stairs and she ran up to her room as quickly as they would carry her. She kicked off her slippers and immediately slid under her sheets and buried her head into her pillow, screaming into it and kicking her feet like a giddy teenager who had just been asked by the cutest and most popular guy in school to the prom.

But this was so much more serious than any teen-aged love. She hadn't planned on it, she wasn't expecting it, but tonight she listened as Adrian's innermost thoughts about her and their relationship came unfettered. She heard with her own ears the things he was holding inside and the elation she now felt was beyond her wildest dreams. Yet, she knew, or at least believed, that he wasn't sure as to whether she heard him or not. Knowing him as she did, she knew she needed to play it cool. Give him space. Avoid embarrassing him and wait patiently for him to make the next move. Whenever that might be.


	18. The Morning After

The next morning, Natalie opened her eyes to find that the sunshine in her heart outshined anything that was going on outside. She believed deeply in the power of dreams to reveal one's true feelings, and judging from the night before, Adrian Monk's true feelings were those of love and desire for her - even if he had only confessed it in his sleep. In a single night she had witnessed years and years of tortuous, seemingly unrequited, love come to an end. In their place, was the possibility of the life she dreamed of with the very man that she had for so long secretly wished to share it. She had no idea how long any actual non-dream-world progress would take, but she had something now that one could not put a price on. She had hope.

Adrian Monk was a detective, but he was also an enigma. He could at once be difficult, complex, brooding, obnoxious, and negative but then turn around and be charming, and loving, and gracious, and kind, and someone that she just knew would be willing to sacrifice his all for her well-being. He was predictable enough to provide a sense of stability and yet his quirks and turns of personality never ceased to keep her guessing. The latter would never be seen more clearly than it was on this morning after Natalie had overheard Adrian's amorous dream.

She woke up that morning feeling on the one hand deliriously happy, but also a little uneasy. What would she face when she left her bedroom that morning? Would he be distant like he often was when things were uncomfortable or would he be more light-hearted and happy, in spite of whatever she might have heard? It was hard to say. She had never been in a situation like this with him and the prospect made her a little nervous.

Looking over at her clock, she saw that it was 8:58 AM, so she rolled over and turned off the alarm before the harsh jolting sound of its buzz would startle her to the bone. She stretched, jumped out of bed, threw on a robe and brushed her hair, and quickly became aware of the smell of food coming from downstairs. Quietly, she slipped out of her room and walked down the stairs towards the kitchen, assuming that Julie was making breakfast again. But, she stopped dead in her tracks when she was treated to the sight of both of the most important people in her life working together in cooperation on the task. There was already a plate full of breakfast sausage that Julie had made on the stove, but now, there was Julie and Adrian working side by side finishing up their pancake feast together. Julie manned the batter and the griddle and then passed the cakes over to Adrian, who was sitting at a lower level workstation, using a shape cutter to cut them into perfect little squares.

Natalie covered her mouth to stop a sob that seemed to come from nowhere. Here Adrian Monk was in her kitchen, making breakfast with her daughter as though they'd made breakfast together their entire lives, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her daughter was eighteen and Adrian had been so much a part of her life since she was eleven. He'd been for the past seven years Natalie's co-parent in raising Julie, faithful and understanding and willing to stand in in places where her late husband Mitch's presence would have been most profoundly felt. To this day Julie remembered and referenced Adrian having the sex talk with her and her only response to her friends when they would ask her why she didn't want a deeper relationship with a boy was that she was waiting for her Trudy. Seeing them there together that morning completed a picture for Natalie of what she wanted permanently with Adrian someday, if he would ever be brave enough to ask for it.

As she stepped down another step, the stair underneath her feet made a creaking sound which alerted Adrian and Julie to her presence. She smiled, but secretly steeled herself with the expectation that she would be treated to the same strange, standoffish behavior that he had exhibited the morning before. She was pleasantly surprised though, when he looked up from his project and gave her his sweetest, almost bashful smile.

"Good morning, dear," he said, looking back down at his pancakes and pushing some of the scraps off to the side.

Her eyes twinkled at the greeting, which immediately merited a curious look from Julie.

She walked into the room. "Good morning," she murmured, smiling and brushing her hand across his shoulders as she walked by. He started to roll his shoulders, but stopped half way as a half-smile came upon his lips.

"Morning Mom!" Julie said. "Adrian and I have been making you breakfast. Hope you're hungry."

"Good morning, sweetheart," Natalie said, giving Julie a hug before walking over to the cabinets and pulling out a coffee cup.

"Did you sleep well?" Adrian asked, still looking at his project but trying to sound chipper and nonchalant. He had made the conscious decision that morning to not get 'weird' in front of her. Rather, he would just pretend that last night didn't happen. Truly, even if she had heard _something_ how bad could it have been? He would just let things lie where they were and everything would be fine. Or so, he was telling himself. In reality, his stomach was a nervous wreck and he couldn't stop thinking about both the dream and the fact that he had awakened with Natalie standing at the foot of his bed, and down deep, he knew. He knew by the expression on her face that he had talked a _lot_ and she had heard a lot, and he wasn't quite sure what all of that was going to mean for their day.

Natalie smiled. In truth, she had a hard time getting to sleep after what she heard. She was far too excited. But, once she did sleep, she had the most pleasant of dreams and had in fact ended the night almost singing inside for the happiness she felt.

"I slept _very_ well," she admitted, pouring herself a cup of coffee and then pulling up a chair close to him at the table. "How about you?"

Adrian was still trying to play it cool but as he looked at her sitting next to him, with a face that was luminous and beautiful even without makeup, he blushed as remembrances of his dream danced across the window of his mind. _Oh, that dream! _ "I…yeah…me too," he replied.

Natalie caught his embarrassment but pretended that she didn't notice anything unusual. "Good. I'm glad."

The two sat quietly at the table for another minute, side by side with arms touching, sharing a newspaper and drinking coffee as he cut out pancakes. Julie looked over, noting their odd behavior and rolled her eyes. "I slept well too. Thanks for asking." She said, as she put the last plate of pancakes on the table in front of Adrian.

Julie's eyes went from Natalie to Adrian and back again. She suspected there was some dynamic brewing that morning that she wasn't privy to but she was also getting used to witnessing weird vibes between them ever since they brought Adrian home from the hospital. Since she had plans to go meet one of her friends in a short while, she decided to let it go for now. If it continued, however, she would have to probe deeper.

* * *

"Thank you for getting this shape cutter, Julie. It makes the job so much more efficient," Adrian said.

"No problem," she responded honestly, and it really wasn't a problem. It was easier than him looking over her shoulder when she cooked and telling her constantly that she hadn't poured the batter evenly so they wouldn't bake into perfect shapes. "But, that reminds me...I have to ask. Why squares?"

He looked confused as he moved the last stack of pancakes over to his plate. "Why squares, what?"

"Why do you cut the pancakes into squares?" she asked. "I mean, I _get_ people cutting the crust off of bread, some people just don't like the texture of crust. I noticed you do that too. But, pancakes are usually round. Why do you cut them into squares? If you just wanted them to be even and symmetrical, I could have bought you a shape cutter for a circle if you wanted one. It would be so much easier, don't you think?

As Adrian cut another pancake with his cutter, he held up the results in one hand and explained. "Not really. A circle has no sides, and therefore it's just a single unit. It's alone. No sides to share itself with. A square is so … _regular_…so _even_. It has matching sides that tie together, and works out to an even number."

He smiled at his own logic.

"I understand - I think. But, once you take a bite out of it, you've wrecked the symmetry. Then it's no good."

Adrian sighed, thoughtfully. "Of course, you're right. But such are the perils of life."

Natalie giggled and took a sip of her coffee.

Instinctively, he smiled that he made her laugh. He loved to hear her laugh. "What? What's so funny?"

"You are. You both are. Like that conversation right there. Not something I would have expected to talk about first thing in the morning, but that made perfect sense. To you, at least. And just the comradery and flow of conversation. I don't know. It was just so cute," she said, surprised to find herself blushing. Was she really doing this? Was she really flirting with Adrian Monk - and was he or was he not responding to her if not flirting back?

He grinned as he finished the last of the pancakes, and then lifted a stack and placed it on her plate.

"Cute? Cute's good." He grinned.

She looked back up at him playfully and held his hand. "Yes, cute is _very_ good," she purred, releasing his hand and reaching for some syrup, but continuing to keep her eyes on him.

Up until the point that she touched his hand, Adrian had been doing well. Things had been going good - maybe not according to plan, because he just planned on keeping it nonchalant, but had found himself wanting to flirt back with the luminous Ms. Teeger - still, things were good. But when he felt the warmth of her fingers touch his, it was like something switched on inside him, releasing a wave of thoughts into his mind that played to his darker side – the side that while being greatly controlled as of late, still lurked beneath the surface – the side where fears, both rational and irrational, reigned supreme and things such as romantic risk had no place.

There, in Natalie's kitchen, the morning after he had experienced a very vivid and alluring dream about the woman sitting across him, Adrian Monk was beginning to realize the significance of the moment he was in. There he was sitting in the kitchen with a woman whom he now had to admit meant far more to him than any casual friend, sharing breakfast with her and her daughter, whom he loved dearly, and appearing very much like a part of a regular family. As he looked her in the eyes, he saw not his assistant and friend, but he saw a partner - for life. Someone whom he could continue to stay in this house with and come home to every day. Someone with whom he could share his personal life and his professional work and be confident in the knowledge that she enjoyed both parts of him equally. Someone whom he could love for the rest of his life. And the thought scared him senseless.

* * *

Natalie and Adrian were still smiling at each other when the phone rang. He knew he trusted her with his life, just as she trusted him with hers and Julie's, and he tried very hard every day to be worthy of that trust. It was a monumental gift, especially given his line of work and the professional life he had pulled her into when she started working for him. He could trust her with his heart as well. His brain just needed a little bit of time to catch up to his heart and realize that this idea of a romantic relationship with Natalie Teeger wasn't out of the ordinary at all. It was something he hadn't known that he'd wanted or needed, until he'd waited so long that he'd almost lost his chance. But at the same time, the idea of risking his heart and risking their friendship, their working relationship, the idea that he might never see her or Julie again if it went wrong - it was too much for him to consider at the moment.

From another room, the phone began to ring. Julie sighed louder and rolled her eyes, more demonstratively this time than she had before. "Oh, don't worry about that phone, I'll get it." Neither of the other people in the room, she correctly guessed, even had an idea that the phone was on it's seventh ring.

Once Julie was out of the room, Adrian cut up a bite of his pancake and started to move his fork towards Natalie like he wanted to feed her a bite but at the last second he diverted course and carefully set the fork back down on his own plate. Natalie's eyes immediately masked their hurt and she shrugged, eating a bite of her own pancake. "These are very good this morning," Adrian stated, nervously looking down at his plate and slicing into the perfect squares of the remaining pancakes with his fork in such a way that they were still evenly distributed.

Natalie nodded slowly. "Yes, they are," she said quietly. "Julie is a good cook. I still don't know where she learned that skill. And, of course, this morning she had help from a master food artist."

Adrian grinned. "Ah. It's nothing. She bought the cutter. That was clever. Julie is a smart young lady. But that reminds me, my staying here has to be costing you a fortune. Between the rental of the bed, the extra food, extra utilities. I mean, none of that is in your job description and you need to be saving all the money you can to send Julie to college. When Leland and Randy head over to my apartment the next time, remind me to tell them to bring my checkbook. I want to make sure you are properly compensated. It's the least I can do for you."

Natalie's cheerful expression melted into a frown. "Adrian, you don't have to _pay_ me to stay here. I'm not asking for rent or anything from you. You're my - friend."

"Oh, no. I must. It wouldn't be right for me to stay here all this time and at least not chip in. I can't do much in terms of household chores…at least not yet. But, I can do this. I insist." He said, taking another bite of pancake and washing it down with a swig of coffee.

* * *

Julie went to the living room where she last remembered leaving the cordless handset when she had been talking to a friend yesterday afternoon. She didn't recognize the number at first so she cautiously said hello. "Teeger residence, this is Julie."

"Julie? Hi, it's Leland Stottlemeyer."

"Oh. Hi, Commander Stottlemeyer, do you need to talk to my mom or Adrian?"

"Not right now, thank you. I called because I wanted to check in and make sure Monk was all right after all the, um, excitement two nights ago. How is everything over there? Is everything starting to go smoothly?"

Julie tucked the phone under her chin and glanced back into the kitchen to look at her mom and Adrian. They were both eating their breakfast and neither of them were talking, but their hands were on the table and mere inches away from touching. It was so - weird. Even for them. "No...no fall. But -"

"But what?"

"They're acting strange today." she said.

"Monk acts strange every day. Please elaborate."

Julie paused. "Well, It's like they don't - if I left the house I don't think they'd notice. They're just - sitting there, eating breakfast, ** not **holding hands, and making goo goo eyes at each other. It's all very strange. If I didn't know any better I'd swear they were flirting." Julie clapped her hand over her mouth. "You're a man and you're the boss of both of them, kind of. Can you forget I said all of that?"

On the other end of the line, in the kitchen of his own home, Leland made sure that T.K wasn't anywhere she could see him and he drummed his fingers on the counter in celebration. Had Monk finally made up his mind and found some courage?

"Commander Stottlemeyer? I shouldn't have told you that, I'm sorry. You - you called about Adrian, I'm sure you don't care about what I think about things."

Leland laughed. "Julie, it's okay. I asked you to elaborate on the word strange, and you did. If you say they are making _goo goo_ eyes at each other, that certainly qualifies as different."

Julie rolled her eyes yet again even though Commander Stottlemeyer couldn't see her and probably wouldn't approve anyway. Or he was used to teenagers eye-rolling, she knew vaguely that Commander Stottlemeyer's oldest son Jared was a teenager, her age. "I had to finally tell them not to worry about it and I'd come get the phone because neither of them heard it, they were too busy looking at each other and smiling. I feel like I'm an intruder in the middle of someone's date or something. Like I'm in the middle of _Lady and the Tramp_ and sticking my head in the middle of the two dogs in the spaghetti scene," she remarked. "If Adrian ever dated, that is, which, you know - he doesn't."

Leland wisely decided to ignore all the decidedly teenage-girl commentary. "I'm sorry you're feeling like a third wheel this morning, but it's good that Monk and your mom are having a good day so far. But, Julie, one of the reasons I called, would you please, and don't tell them until they're finished eating, but when they're done can you tell Monk for me that I need his help on something down at the station? Tell your mom she has the morning off, okay? I'll come pick Monk up in a little while and bring him back when we're done. We aren't going out on any crime scenes today."

Julie scribbled the notes on a notepad beside the phone. "Sure, Commander Stottlemeyer, I'll let them know."

"I'm sorry, Julie, but can you take one more message for me? Ask your mom if it would be okay if T.K met up with her today to go shopping. She's been helping me plan a party for the Fraternal Order of Police, and, well...she doesn't like my help. She wants your mom's opinions on the decorations and stuff like that."

Julie nodded, scribbling that down on a separate note then said goodbye to the commander. She then ripped the two pieces of paper off the notepad and brought them back with her to the kitchen - or there would have been two, had she not dropped the second message, the one about T.K coming over to ask her mom to go shopping, on the floor where it fell behind the couch.

On the other side of town, Leland pumped his fist in silent celebration. Step one was successful. Now all he had to do was go back to his bedroom, wake up his wife, and set step two into motion. If he timed it right to ask her when she was still half-asleep and agreeable to most things without knowing what they were, he could convince her to take Natalie Teeger shopping and do a little detective work of her own.


	19. The Talk With Leland

Stottlemeyer had already traveled two miles away from Natalie's house, sharing details about a troublesome case with Adrian, when he realized that mentally, Monk wasn't with him at all. His mind was someplace else, and Leland had a pretty good idea where, or so he thought.

"…and so…that's when I figured Randy's theory about a man dressing up as his own grandmother was probably true…" Leland said in jest, looking over at Monk to see if anything was registering. "Don't you agree?"

Monk was staring out the window. "Yeah…sure…" he said, absentmindedly.

"Monk." Leland said quietly. Nothing. "MONK!" he said a bit louder, causing Adrian to turn his head.

"Yeah? What?"

"Have you heard anything that I just said?" he asked.

Adrian looked down and tried to think. "Um. Yeah. You said someone got killed on the North…"

"…East…" Stottlemeyer corrected.

"East side of town near the…um…" Adrian struggled.

"East Town Brewery." Leland finished.

"Yeah. That's…that's what you said." Monk replied. "…Didn't you?"

Stottlemeyer smirked and did a detour, redirecting his car away from the precinct to some place more private where Monk and he could have a good talk. He knew Adrian well enough to know that if he was that preoccupied he wasn't going to get any work done. Plus, after his talk with Julie, he was very curious as to what had transpired between Monk and Natalie over the last 24 hours.

Adrian looked around at his surroundings. "Where are you going? Precinct is the other way."

"We're going someplace to talk. Private." Leland replied.

Adrian didn't get it. "You and T.K. having problems?"

Leland glanced over at him and shook his head. "No. No problems except the ones that drag me away from my wife late at night because someone needs to be picked up off the bathroom floor." He said, immediately feeling bad that he brought the matter up.

Monk looked down. "I'm sorry that I'm a burden."

Stottlemeyer shook his head and sighed. "You're not a burden. And, that _was_ a little uncalled for. I apologize. I just think we need to talk."

* * *

Leland pulled into a parking lot adjacent to a secluded park near the Golden Gate Bridge and helped Monk out of the car and into his wheelchair. Pushing him up to an area near a bench, he then locked the wheels on the chair, to avoid calamity, took a seat and the two men sat and watched Bay traffic go by as a cool California breeze kept them comfortable on a warm San Francisco day.

The friends were quiet at first while Leland decided how he was going to approach the matter of Monk's distractedness. Finally, he just decided he would ask him outright what was going on. He wanted to be patient, but Monk had been stewing about stuff for days and the sooner he got over it the better it would be for everyone.

* * *

"Okay buddy. What's up with you today?" he asked, staring out at the water.

Monk looked down at the ground. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is you're not here. You're someplace else. Something is on your mind and we might as well talk about it so that you stop ruminating over whatever _IT _is and can begin to pay attention again." Stottlemeyer replied. "So. What's going on? Did something happen between you and Natalie?"

Monk grew very quiet and began focusing on a speck of dirt on his trouser leg. He bent over and tried to flick it off but couldn't quite reach. He leaned in further and further, then just as Leland was anticipating, almost fell out of his wheelchair. Leland grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shoved him back in his seat, making sure he was okay before giving him the Stottlemeyer stare.

"Are we done?" he asked.

Monk looked self-consciously at Leland and then back down at the ground. "We're done." He replied.

"So. Are you going to tell me? Did you and Natalie have a fight? Did you cause her to cry again?" he asked.

Monk furrowed his brow. "No! I would never cause Natalie to cry… At least not deliberately."

"Then what? What has my friend so preoccupied that he just gave his ascent to one of Disher's most cockamamie theories without even batting an eye." Leland asked.

Monk looked up at him with a still swollen cheekbone. "Watch the talk about batting eyes. I only have one good one left." he joked in a typically dry Adrian Monk manner.

Leland smirked. "So. You going to tell me what has you so upset?"

"I'm not upset." Adrian said.

"You're not?" Leland asked.

"No. I just have a lot on my mind." Monk replied.

"Alright. That's fair. Anything you want to talk about?" Leland asked.

Monk chewed on his lower lip and looked around the ground as if thinking about what he wanted to say next. Leland wisely gave him time. Finally, Monk began to speak. "I think I might have upset Natalie this morning."

"I thought you said you didn't have a fight." Leland responded.

"We didn't. I...well, I may have reacted the wrong way to something." he replied.

"Go on." Stottlemeyer said.

Monk looked up. "There was some stuff that happened last night, that I don't know that I want to talk about right now, and I wasn't sure how it was going to go this morning. But, when we saw each other...honestly... we were having a good morning. She was happy and I was happy and Julie, I think Julie was happy, and it was good."

"Okay. What happened that made you react the wrong way?" he asked.

"Well, Julie and I were in this conversation about pancakes and why I cut them into squares instead of circles. And really, it's about the symmetry..."

"Monk. Please tell me, you're not upset about pancakes." Leland said impatiently.

Monk looked irritated. "No, Leland. That would be dumb."

"Good, because I was about to break your other leg. But continue." he sighed, adjusting in his seat for what he assumed would be a long story.

"Okay...well, pancake story aside...I'll get to the point."

"Thank you." Leland replied.

"Anyway, my conversation with Julie about the pancakes - Natalie said it was 'cute.' And I said 'cute's good'. And then she said 'cute's _very_ good'. And just…something about the way she said it, and the way she touched my hand, it kinda, well...I guess I might have overreacted a little because it was almost like we were... and we're not of course...not that it had never crossed my mind, because when I was in the hospital, well...you know...but here we were, the three of us sitting there together having breakfast...and it felt almost like...but then she touched my hand right there in front of Julie...and with all of the uncertainty and all..."

Leland felt like shaking his head at the string of unintelligible mumbo jumbo that had just escaped Adrian Monk's mouth, but strangely he was following most what he was saying. Something about his current domestic situation had struck a chord with Adrian and the emotional closeness had caused him to panic.

"So, what did you do to Natalie?" he asked.

"What? I didn't do anything to her. I just decided to change the subject. I started talking to her about making sure that she was financially compensated for all of the extra stuff she is doing and..."

"Monk! You didn't!"

"What?!" Adrian exclaimed.

"Oh, for the love of crackers! Seriously? You treated her just like she was your employee?" Leland replied.

"She _is_ my employee." Monk responded.

"Yes. And, she's your friend. And, maybe… more...than just a friend" Leland said, his voice softening at the last.

Monk was quiet to Leland's point, so he continued. "Alright, what makes you think she was upset?"

Adrian looked down. "Well, she stopped smiling. She had been smiling all morning. She was happy. I liked that. And, I don't know. It was sort of formal the rest of the morning. Of course, she may not have been upset about that at all. It could have been the other thing."

Leland raised both eyebrows. "Other thing? _What- _other thing?"

Monk looked at Leland with guilty eyes and then chuckled nervously. "Um, did I say other thing?"

"Yes. You did. What happened Monk? And don't build me a clock. Just tell me." Leland replied.

Monk hesitated. "That thing that I said earlier on…that happened last night…that I'm not sure I want to talk about."

Stottlemeyer looked back at the Bay and took a deep breath. "Well, if you want things to be better between you and Natalie, and this _thing_ is standing in the way of that happening, don't you think it would be a good idea to talk it through?"

Monk was quiet for a very long time and Leland remained patient. Until he drew out from him whatever was upsetting his friend, he knew they would get nothing else done.

After a full three minutes, Adrian finally spoke. "Leland. Did you think about T.K. a lot before you and she dated?"

Stottlemeyer was a little surprised by the question and intrigued by Adrian's mentioning of the word "dated" but he played along. "Um. Yeah. I guess I did. I couldn't stop thinking about her." he recollected.

Monk was quiet for about a minute more and Leland stayed quiet with him, giving him time to formulate his thoughts.

Adrian took a deep breath. "Did you ever…_dream_ about her?"

Stottlemeyer stopped for a moment and thought back to when he first met Trudy Jensen and recalled that, even though they didn't date a very long time, he did find that she invaded his dreams from time to time, in a good way.

He nodded. "I suppose I did. Why do you ask?"

Monk paused, and then ducked his head a little so that Leland could not see the small grin which appeared on his face. "Well, I had a _dream_ last night."

Leland looked over at Monk and furrowed his brow. "A _dream_? Okay. Was it a bad dream?"

Monk kept facing down but rolled his neck as he continued. "No. N-Not a…b-bad dream. It was good..um…a good _dream_ that is." He cleared his throat.

Stottlemeyer was perplexed. "O-kay…And, what was this dream about?"

Monk's mind suddenly engaged in a tug-o'-war, vacillating over whether he would open up to Leland about the very private dream or not. It was all embarrassing on the one hand, but on the other, he felt the need to talk about it with someone he could trust - that was not a key element of the dream itself. "Um…stuff…just some stuff."

Leland felt himself beginning to become impatient; but quickly got his emotions back in check knowing that slowly but surely Monk was trying to express what was bothering him.

"Stuff. Okay. You had a good dream about 'stuff' and you're preoccupied about it." He said, trying to help Monk along. "You want to tell me about what sort of 'stuff' was in this dream sometime before dusk?"

Monk crossed his arms with his broken arm at his waist and the other angled up towards his head. He sighed, and then put his face in his hand, saying cryptically "_Natalie_…stuff."

Leland was bemused but had to grin at the knowledge that he had been right that Monk was bothered over something that had to do with Natalie. He continued his interview.

"Natalie stuff. So, Natalie was in your dream?"

"Yes. Natalie was in my dream." Adrian confirmed.

Leland reasoned. "Well, you and Natalie spend a lot of time together, especially lately, and I guess, it's natural that she would wind up in your dreams...Actually, it would be kind of weird if she wasn't. So why does this have you upset?"

"I'm not upset." Adrian corrected.

"Okay. Excuse me. Why does this have you _preoccupied_."

Monk looked down and began to pick at a thread on his pants. He took a deep breath and decided to blurt it out. Refusing to make eye contact, Adrian said "It wasn't _that_ kind of dream, Leland."

Leland was still stumped, and sat back in frustration, trying to decode what Monk was trying to say. "It wasn't that kind of dream. It wasn't _what_ kind of…" Then, it hit him.

Leland's facial expression turned from one of confusion to one of knowing amusement. He took a deep breath trying to keep from chuckling at what he knew was a very serious subject for his longtime friend. Monk had always been a private person, especially about personal matters like this, which left Leland even more intrigued by what Monk was going to say.

"Oh. I see." Stottlemeyer said calmly. "You had a _dream_ about Natalie and it has you preoccupied?"

"Yes." Monk said. "Well no. Yes. Well, sorta. Not exactly." He babbled, burying his face into his hand and then tilting his head towards Leland with a sheepish grin. "I um…well… here's the thing… um…in the dream, Me and Natalie…we um…"

Leland kept a straight face as Monk struggled for the right words. He knew that his friend was doing something that was tremendously difficult for him in talking about a subject so sensitive and personal, so he tried to be supportive as Monk explained.

"Are you saying that you had a dream where you and Natalie _made love_?" Leland asked.

Monk's eyes grew wide and he looked offended. "NO! NO! That's NOT what I'm saying!" he turned his head back towards the ground. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Stottlemeyer!"

Stottlemeyer guffawed. "Well, Monk…buddy… I'm _trying_ to help you but you're not giving me much to go on here, so do you want to be a little more direct? Exactly what kind of dream did you have about Natalie?"

"Not that kind." He snarled.

Leland laughed. "Okay. Not that kind. I'm sorry for jumping to that conclusion. It's just when you emphasized a special _kind_ of dream - you're a single man, she's a beautiful woman, you spend a lot of time together and get along really well, I just thought…"

"Well, it wasn't that kind." Monk replied. "At least..not…exactly…_that_ kind..."

Stottlemeyer smirked. "Well, what _kind_ of dream was it? Monk. What was your dream with Natalie about?"

Monk looked at Leland, and his mouth curved upward into a grin. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his neck, speaking with an almost dreamy look on his face. "Well…" he sighed. "We…we were out on a rooftop together. I think it was at the precinct. I wasn't in this chair. And we could see the San Francisco skyline and the Bay, somewhat like this. And well, she walked up to me. She was wearing that satiny blue blouse she wears on occasion with that tight pin-stripped pencil skirt, with the slit in it that shows off her legs, and those black shoes with the red soles."

"Leboutins" Stottlemeyer interjected.

Monk looked at him with curiosity.

"T.K. likes them."

Monk nodded. "Yeah. Leboutins. Though I don't think they are actually Leboutins because it would take her an entire paycheck to buy a pair with what I pay her, and I just don't think she would do that." Monk thought.

"You're probably right. Please. Continue." Leland said, frankly more interested in the content of Monk's dream than in the latest women's fashion trends.

"Well, as I was saying, we were on a rooftop..."he continued.

"And you weren't afraid?" Leland asked.

Monk thought. "No...I guess not. I didn't feel fear at all. Interesting... I wonder if that means anything."

Leland smiled at that comment because it was so _not_ characteristic of Adrian Monk to think along those lines, but it was very much something that Natalie Teeger might say. She was clearly rubbing off on him.

Monk continued. "Anyway, I was telling her how happy I was to be with her and how much I had missed being with her and going on walks with her…you know, the normal things we used to do before I got hurt, and well I looked over at her and she was just … she was … stunning… and well… I said some things to her…" he said, again looking downward, this time fidgeting with his hands.

"You said some things to Natalie?" Leland asked.

"Yes." Adrian replied.

"In your dream?" Leland asked.

Adrian nodded.

Leland tried to imagine what on earth he had said to her, but after the upbraiding he received from his first conclusion was hesitant to rush him along. "What kind of things did you say?"

Monk smiled. "I told her I _wanted_ her."

Leland's eyes crinkled and a slight grin appeared on his face.

"I… I told her…that she makes my life worth living." Monk smiled.

"And…how did Natalie react in your dream?" Leland asked trying to appear less amused than he was.

Adrian looked up "It was the darnedest thing. She told me she wanted me too. I…I was blown away by that. Why would such a classy, sweet, gorgeous woman want me?" he asked.

Leland just smiled. "So, you had a very happy dream with some romantic overtones to it and it has you thinking about things?" he asked.

Adrian's face grew serious. "Um…no… that's not exactly it." He said.

Stottlemeyer grimaced with frustration. "Well, what then?"

"Well…when I was saying that I said some things…I … I was kinda keeping it clinical. It got a little more involved than that. In fact, right before I woke up…it was sorta turning…um…a bit…how do I want to say it…um…"

If Stottlemeyer could have had a lasso to tie around Monk's words he would have gladly yanked them out of his mouth, but he kept his cool and just raised an eyebrow as Monk rambled.

"Hot." He finally said. "The dream was beginning to turn hot. Which…in turn… was making me… um…"

"Monk, I don't think I want to hear this part." Leland said.

Monk stopped and glared at him.

"Okay." Stottlemeyer sighed. "It's all in the family, I suppose."

Monk shook his head. "Gee whiz Leland. I was going to say it was making me want to _talk_ to her more. I wanted to say everything that I was feeling inside and I…I said some things.. Some pretty personal things… about my feelings…my feelings for Natalie."

Leland pursed his lips. "Oh, now we are admitting we have_ feelings_ for Natalie?"

Monk was irritated. "Of course, I have feelings for Natalie. I'm_ in love_ with her Leland! Try to keep up."

Leland Stottlemeyer was usually fairly reserved, but at that laughed out loud and threw up his hands in victory. Monk stared at him, unamused.

"Okay. I'm sorry. It's just you've never said that before. Forgive me." He laughed.

"It's not funny." Monk replied.

Stottlemeyer continued to chuckle, relieved that the elephant in the room was finally being addressed, but settled down so Monk could finish what he had to say.

"Alright." He said, making his face straight again.

"Are you done?" Monk asked.

"I'm done. Please, continue. You said you were saying some very personal things about your feelings for Natalie." Leland replied.

"Yes. And, I was confessing that I loved her and wanted to be with her and to hold her…forever…and I said these things."

"You already said that." Leland replied.

"No…Leland…I…I actually _SAID_ these things. I said them…_OUT LOUD_." Monk explained.

"In your dream?" Leland asked.

"No. In Natalie's living room where I was sleeping."

Leland thought. "You were talking in your sleep?"

"Yes."

"In Natalie's house."

"Yes."

Leland paused for a moment then tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"And you…you were... alone?" he asked.

Monk sighed. "Um…that... would be a BIG _negatory_." he answered, raising an eyebrow towards Leland.

Leland squinted his eyes and he slowly enunciated what he said next, punctuating each phrase with a nod of his head just to make sure he was fully understanding what Monk was saying. "Oh! So…someone was there to_ hear_ you talking in your sleep about Natalie?"

"Yes." Adrian nodded.

"Please. Tell me it wasn't Natalie." Stottlemeyer said, looking uncomfortable for his friend.

"Uh…I _wish_ I could tell you that." Monk replied.

Leland shut his eyes. He began to laugh. "Oh man. Monk!"

"I know. I know!" he exclaimed.

"And you're sure she heard you?" Stottlemeyer asked.

"99.9% sure." Adrian replied.

"Oh, wow - Buddy!" Leland said, shaking his head and putting his face in his palm.

"Yeah. What is it that Julie says all the time? _Awkwardddd_." Monk replied.

Leland laughed. "That's rough. How did she act this morning?"

"Well…she was very friendly…very." Monk replied.

"That's good." Stottlemeyer said.

"Yes. But Leland, I – I just can't believe this. This has got to be the most humiliating week of my life. First, I get my cast off only to find out that one of my legs looks like_ Captain Hook with leprosy_… Then, I get to leave the hospital only to wind up tearing up the bathroom and almost sending myself back to the hospital again as I become intimately familiar with the porcelain tile in her bathroom, only to top it all off by blabbing out all of my carefully concealed feelings about this amazing woman, this woman I'm _madly in love_ with, this woman I can't get out of my head and can't stop thinking about day and night …or apparently in my _dreams_ even…right there in front of her! If I had any pride at the beginning of this week or any speck of human dignity, it's gone now. What on earth am I going to do?!"

Leland smiled. "So you finally admitted you love her. That's progress."

"Yeah...but.." Adrian said, slowly becoming pensive.

Monk looked down at the ground, silently, and it took Leland more time than it should have to notice that Monk was rubbing the third finger on his left hand. Monk no longer ever brought up the fact that his wedding ring had been taken from him in the explosion and the only time he'd ever mentioned it in the hospital was to Natalie to say it was a choice between his ring and Julie's life and he would always choose Julie. He had done what he had to do to save Julie and he didn't have regrets about what he had done. But now, the idea of loving Natalie clearly left him feeling conflicted.

Leland was silent for a moment longer to give Monk a few moments to himself to think. "You know, Monk, it's not being disloyal to Trudy's memory to love another woman," he said quietly. "Trudy would want this for you."

Monk stared straight ahead at the water. Leland carefully continued on. "I know we don't - you don't like to talk in-depth about Trudy like this, but you don't have to talk. I'll talk and you...please listen." Monk stayed silent but didn't say no, so Leland braved on. How he wished he was better prepared for a conversation like this.

"You and Trudy had something wonderful, Monk. I know because I was there for part of it. No one, least of all Natalie, is doubting how much you loved her. But, Monk...Trudy's been gone for a long time, buddy. She's been gone for nearly fourteen years. That's longer than the two of you were married. And I just - "

Monk's voice was low, hoarse, full of years of pain and regret and sorrow. "If you have a point, please make it."

"Trudy wouldn't like it that you've paralyzed yourself this way for all of these years. She'd want you to be happy and she'd want you to open yourself up to love again. And, if you asked me, I think Trudy would have liked Natalie."

With that Monk finally looked at Leland. "I think she would, too." His voice was still quiet, but strong and no longer on the verge of tears.

"You don't think Natalie's had these same kinds of thoughts and feelings about Mitch?" Leland asked gently.

"Natalie didn't...Natalie didn't withdraw into her grief like I did," Monk murmured.

"Julie was five years old when Mitch was killed," was Leland's response. "Natalie had a small child to raise. She didn't have a choice."

Adrian considered that thought for a moment. "I'm glad for her. I'm glad that Natalie had Julie. And, I'm glad she didn't have to go through what I went through. You know, Trudy wanted to have children. But, I always resisted the idea. And when I lost her. I pretty much lost the only thing that really mattered to me and I had nothing. I was left with nothing.

I think that may be why I'm struggling right now. Maybe that's why I lied to myself for so long about my feelings for Natalie and the fact that I had fallen in love with her. I figured, if I didn't cater to the feelings I was having for her…well, they would go away, and I could be safe in my little cocoon and I could protect myself from pain. Having your heart ripped from you once is pretty much an event you never get over, and if, by some miracle that heart manages to regenerate, you want to protect it. I've been doing that for well over a decade, and it's not a happy existence. It's not really living. But, it's so familiar that part of me wants to just go back into the cocoon and protect myself from the fear I feel right now. I mean, it doesn't even have to be something as horrific as what happened to Trudy. What if I simply make the wrong move? I might lose her, and I don't think I could bear that."

Leland looked sympathetically towards his friend. "Sorry, buddy. I know you want to shield yourself from pain, but nobody gets that option. Love is a risk. You risk your heart, and sometimes your heart gets broken. You and I both know that very well - you even more than me. But, sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes it's very wonderful. And if you don't open yourself up to that, you'll never know the wonderful. Believe me. I know. I thought it was over for me when Karen left, and really thought I was done after the Linda debacle…but then I found T.K. And, I'm telling you right now that taking that step is scary as Hell, but it's worth it."

Monk looked at Leland and smiled, like a huge burden had been lifted from off of his shoulders. Then he shook his head. "How did this happen? I mean, weren't you supposed to be looking out for me?"

Leland looked at Monk with a curious stare. "I do try to look out for you. What are you getting at?"

"This! This situation. Look at what's happened! I was going along with my miserable existence and then one day I suddenly realized, Adrian Monk is in love!"

Stottlemeyer grinned. "I could have told you that months ago, buddy, but you had to discover it for yourself. We can all breathe a sigh of relief now that you have. Now…the big question is…what do you plan on doing about it?"


	20. The Talk With TK

_Authors Note: _ _Thank you all for the continuing reviews and favorable comments. Welcome Aloysia Piton from beautiful Italy! Thank you so much for your kind review! Continued thanks to Alex Hoodle, Dmander4483, Ljd21690, VL, and Guests for your wonderful feedback. It gives us the energy to keep on writing and you are so very much appreciated!_

* * *

Leland had picked up Adrian that morning which was just as well because both ladies of the Teeger household had important things to catch up on. Julie was in her room working on her schoolwork, an English paper due in two days' time, and she had her second calculus test later in the week. She hadn't done well on the first test so Adrian had offered to work problems with her when he got home. This was something for which Natalie was incredibly grateful. She and calculus never got along.

Natalie was on the second load of laundry of the afternoon, a task that was so much easier to do without Adrian in the house telling her how to organize the clothes, how to divide lights and darks (Adrian style- separating whites from off whites, from off-off whites, primary colors, left socks and right socks all washed as separate loads) or exactly how much detergent to put in each load dependent upon what she was washing. She didn't begrudge Leland for taking Adrian out to work with him alone. As much as she loved working on cases this was always **his** job more than it was **hers**, but never more than today did she wish she was there with them. Even listening to one of Randy's moronic theories would have been a welcome distraction.

Because Julie was working on her paper and Adrian wasn't home (funny how in such a short time she was now thinking of this as _their_ home and how she was getting used to having him there), Natalie was alone with only chores to do and plenty of time to be alone with her thoughts - thoughts that today consisted only of Adrian and what had transpired between them the night before and how he had acted with her that morning. To say that something had happened between them wasn't the right phrase. He had been dreaming and she knew he would be mortified to know she'd heard his private (very, very private) thoughts. But she did detect a change when they were together eating breakfast that morning.

It seemed at first like it was going to be a really good morning. He was sweet to her and to Julie, and he was happy, and...he was even a little flirtatious with her. She didn't even know that he _could_ be that way. But then something happened, like a switch had been flipped inside of him. All of a sudden she wasn't his friend and was back to being merely his employee, the woman he paid to make his life easier. He'd even told her that he'd tell Leland to bring him his checkbook so he could _pay_ her for his half of the bills and everything she had done for him so far. Didn't he know that she would have never accepted money from him? That she did everything she did for him, offered up her home to him for his recovery, because she loved...because she was his friend and had been for seven years? He'd never brought up the topic of money before today. Never even hinted at wanting him to reimburse her financially.

The day after he'd dreamed about her so intimately he had put her firmly back in the "Natalie is my employee" box. She didn't have to be a detective at all to make the connection that something about his dream, or about her, had spooked him and he wanted to be sure everything returned to the way it was.

Had she misinterpreted what she heard last night? Was she putting too much stock and hope into a dream? A dream, Natalie thought miserably, that she was never meant to hear. A dream that should have stayed with him and only with him. The more she thought about what she had done the more ashamed of herself she felt about her behavior. She wasn't supposed to know that the private Adrian Monk had dreamed about her in that way.

She wouldn't have known about it except for that damned baby monitor. He hadn't wanted it but he'd consented to having it on at night to make her happy, to make her life easier. And what had she done? Used it to spy on him, stood at the edge of his bed to listen to him, and then dropped a cup - waking him up out of a sound sleep. She couldn't forget the look of utter shock and panic in his eyes when he startled from his dream, opened his eyes and saw that she was there. And she, Natalie Teeger, had done that to him, all because she couldn't leave well enough alone. All because she couldn't give him even that privacy when he was so out of his comfort zone already living in her home and sleeping in the middle of her living room. It was a miracle he behaved as well as he had that morning and that he didn't hate her.

* * *

Natalie abandoned the television during the second straight episode of Gilligan's Island. If Adrian or Julie was there and decided to quiz her on what she had just watched she wouldn't have been able to answer even one question. Instead, she went to the kitchen to work on her grocery list for the week and take stock of what they needed.

One nice side effect of Adrian's six-week hospital stay was that it made him much more flexible when it came to food. There _was_ a small stockpile of single-serving chicken pot pies for emergencies; but, in general, grocery shopping was much easier. He didn't even complain when Natalie bought milk for herself and Julie.

She was in the middle of taking food inventory when she remembered how Adrian was almost out of wipes and they needed to buy more. She had just written wipes on the list and was searching through her file of coupons, for the one that would give her the best deal, when the doorbell rang. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, Leland and Adrian wouldn't be back for at least a few hours and she knew Julie wasn't expecting anyone. Natalie decided to ignore it, but the doorbell persisted, ringing twice in quick succession.

She sighed in frustration and went to answer it, silently praying it was someone she could get rid of quickly.

It was T.K. Stottlemeyer.

No such luck.

* * *

Natalie pasted a smile on her face as she opened the door. The two were friendly enough because of Leland and Adrian's friendship but Natalie wouldn't say they were close enough that T.K. would just show up at her home without calling first. Honestly, they didn't see much of each other socially unless one or both of the men were around. Years of hanging around crime scenes and detectives had taught Natalie to be suspicious and trust her instincts, and her instincts were telling her that Leland had somehow set up his wife to visit Natalie while he and Monk were out together, conveniently out of the house. But as soon as she thought that thought she felt ashamed, and told that little voice to go away. T.K was married to Leland, yes, but she was still a relative newcomer to their little group of four (or five when Sharona was around). Maybe, just maybe, T.K was as lonely as she was for female companionship and needed a friend.

Natalie could certainly relate to that.

She stood in her doorway and paused before making a motion for T.K. to come inside. "T.K! This is...a surprise, how can I help you?"

T.K. quickly blurted out an excuse Leland wouldn't allow her to leave the house before she memorized. "Good afternoon, Natalie. Leland tells me they're having a social function, or party, or something, for the Fraternal Order of Police. Please don't ask me what that is because I don't remember. He told me, but I was tired and wasn't listening all that closely. That's when he asks me to do things for him and I swear he does it on purpose." Natalie grinned. T.K. was funny. "But, anyway, he wants me to help plan it - and you know that by _help_ he really means he wants me to do it all so he can take the credit for getting it done. I'm happy to do that but I hate doing party planning alone and...well, I got my fill of asking Leland for advice on things like that when we were planning our wedding. Will you help me?"

Natalie's pasted-on smile soon became a genuine one and she laughed out loud. She hadn't heard anything from Adrian or Leland about a party coming up but that in of itself wasn't a surprise. Men usually never concerned themselves with such things. She ruefully threw her hands in the general direction of her kitchen. "Well, you know...I was supposed to take advantage of Adrian being gone and do some grocery shopping, but I think your idea sounds more fun. Please. Come in!"

T.K. followed Natalie into the kitchen and automatically went to work helping her organize coupons, quickly putting them in an order that made sense based on where the items were in the store. If she didn't do this when she and Leland went grocery shopping he'd get distracted and come home with so much random crap she couldn't find room for it. Upon finishing, T.K. put a paperclip on the coupons and the grocery list on the top. She did this so efficiently that Natalie wondered if she could convince Leland to let her borrow T.K. for a few hours every weekend.

"I'll go with you and we can talk while we shop." T.K. said. "Who knows, I might find something for dinner that's better than whatever take-out Leland wants to order."

Natalie laughed again. "You _must_ be bored if you came over here to talk and you're volunteering to go grocery shopping with me." She shrugged and before she could talk herself out of it then grabbed her purse from where she kept it on the bottom shelf of the pantry.

"Julie!" she yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "T.K. Stottlemeyer and I are going grocery shopping. Please come down here and study so you can hear the front door if Adrian and Leland get home before I do."

Moments later, Julie came downstairs with her calculus book in one hand and her laptop in the other and settled herself on the couch that was now at the far side of the room. "I've got it, mom," she promised. "Maybe thanks to Adrian I'll have a prayer of passing my test."

"I'm sure he's not going to need to help you very much," T.K. assured her. "Leland says Monk talks about you at the station all the time. He bragged about you almost the entire week before you graduated high school. He's very proud of you and how well you do with your studies."

Julie lowered her gaze to her book but even so Natalie saw the barest hint of a smile that Julie tried so hard to suppress. "Thanks," she murmured quietly. "Mom, we'll be fine. I am perfectly capable of driving his wheelchair to the bathroom and standing guard outside the door."

T.K. was already at the front door so Natalie held back the mom instinct to hug her daughter goodbye and simply waved. "Adrian mentioned that he wanted to talk to Ambrose sometime this week. See if you can get him set up with Skype on your laptop."

This time, Julie couldn't hide her smile and small laugh. "It's funny, mom, he's so dang brilliant about everything and he can NOT wrap his head around talking to someone through a camera lens in a computer."

Natalie grinned. "I know, but set it up for him anyway. And stay with him until it works, walk him through step-by-step what to do to get connected. You know how he hates talking on the phone."

T.K. watched this interaction closely and took mental notes on how Natalie and Julie were re-arranging and adjusting their lives to Adrian's constant presence, more so than Natalie usually did in her duties as Adrian's assistant. Even after being married to Leland for a little over a year and being friends or at least friendly with Natalie and Adrian, T.K. still wasn't entirely sure what Natalie was being paid to do for Adrian or why he needed an assistant at all. Leland rarely talked about it other than the basics and she figured out pretty quickly that the months after Adrian Monk's wife was murdered were horrible for both Adrian as well as her husband, so she didn't ask.

All she knew was that wherever Adrian Monk went, Natalie was never far behind.

What she was witnessing now, as Natalie wrote a quick note for Adrian and taped it in the exact center of the fridge with a magnet that was a perfect square, was more evidence that Leland's worry about Natalie not feeling the same way that Adrian did was completely unfounded. She watched Natalie throw a pad of sticky-notes at Julie and Julie roll her eyes when she caught it and promise that yes, she would finish the laundry. If she took out the unmentionables she might even get Adrian to help her fold and hang up the shirts and shorts and pants.

* * *

Twenty minutes later T.K. and Natalie were at the grocery store. Natalie had turned on the radio immediately upon getting into the car and T.K recognized that as a signal that there was something that the other woman didn't want to talk about. Clearly she had her work cut out for her on this one.

For the next fifteen minutes, she walked alongside Natalie at the store making a mental checklist of all the times Natalie referenced Adrian in some way while they were there. Natalie chose to buy the smaller container of milk so it could be hidden behind other items in her fridge, she explained to T.K. that this way Adrian didn't have to see it first thing every time he wanted to get something to eat. Natalie picked up two different types of bread instead of just one because the whole wheat bread was better for Adrian's diet and easier to cut the crust off. She picked up an assortment of wipes, cleaning supplies, and fabric softener, all name brand to meet his insistence, and a small bag of candy because sometimes a midnight treat was one of his vices. But what T.K. took notice of the most was the care Natalie took with choosing the ten best eggs of a dozen and how she left two behind and placed the ten-pack into her cart.

Natalie grinned when she saw T.K. picking up a few items for herself and T.K shrugged sheepishly.

"As long as I'm here I might as well. Leland always wants to order out for us for dinner when he's in the middle of a case like this - he used to try and work while he ate until I put a stop to that nonsense - and it's been four nights in a row of food from that diner a block away from our house and I swear to you, Natalie, if I see him show up tonight with that take-out bag one more time..."

"Hey, at least he doesn't expect you to cook for him when he works long hours like this," Natalie shrugged. "That would win him points in my book."

T.K. smiled and lowered her head. "He's a good husband, I don't want you to think that I'm... Well, it's my fault, anyway, I know he does this. He likes to think he's not predictable but he is. I've been married to him for a year and I should have learned by now just to cook a week's worth of meals in advance."

The two women continued to walk through the aisles and made small talk about this or that. It wasn't until they reached the freezer section that she saw her chance. Natalie was reaching for the single-serving chicken pot pies and T.K. decided that now was as good a time as any to start the conversation she had been sent to have.

"I should be furious at you, you know, for calling up my husband so late at night and taking him away from me," she started.

Natalie lifted her head in acknowledgement that she heard the comment, but concentrated on putting the pies into her cart. "I'm really, really sorry that I interrupted you and Leland from - what you were doing."

T.K. had the good sense to blush crimson. Surely Leland wouldn't have wanted her to start the conversation with implied references to their sex life. She'd have to do better than that. Leland was expecting a full report from her.

"But Adrian fell in the bathroom and for whatever reason he refused to let me in," Natalie continued. "And when he gets in that head space, sometimes Leland is the only one that can snap him out of it." She straightened the cart and closed the freezer door. "They've been friends for so long and they have so much history, it's understandable, I suppose. And maybe some of it was a macho pride thing, I don't know. I really don't care. I'm just - grateful Leland came over and helped him. Whatever he said worked because Adrian actually apologized the next day. I swear sometimes it takes a miracle to get that man to apologize or admit that he did something wrong."

T.K understood instantly that Natalie_ did_ care and was still somewhat hurt by the fact that Leland was able to get through to Adrian when she, his faithful assistant and friend, couldn't.

"But he did apologize, that's worth something," T.K said encouragingly.

* * *

T.K. followed Natalie to the pharmacy where Natalie inquired about Adrian's prescriptions, picking up the ones that were ready and requesting refills for others. She'd be back for those in the morning. She waited patiently while Natalie paid the pharmacist, and the discussion continued while they waited in a checkout line. Since Adrian wasn't here, Natalie said, she didn't have to do self-checkout to Adrian's specifications and everything went so much faster.

"You must have been so worried when he fell." T.K. noted.

Natalie lowered her head and pretended to cough then quickly wiped away the tears that had immediately been elicited upon being reminded of the fear she felt that night when she heard the crash and then the horrible silence for nearly a minute afterwards. T.K pretended not to notice.

"Of course I was. He'd literally just gotten released from the hospital that morning. What if he'd re-injured one of his already horrible injuries? What if he broke something new? What if he hit his head on something at just the right angle that it made a brain bleed and he would have been dead before he hit the floor? What if he -?" She broke off abruptly when they got to the front of the line and rummaged in her purse for her store savings card.

"I died when I heard that he and Julie were trapped in that building," she murmured, quietly, biting her lip and struggling to keep it together. T.K wanted to tell her to stop but this was clearly something Natalie needed to get out. "And only half of my heart came back to life when Julie ran towards me and we knew she was safe. The other half was in that building with Adrian - Mr. Monk." Natalie gave T.K an embarrassed smile and half-laugh. "He was still Mr. Monk then."

T.K hardly dared to breathe or ask anything else but just let Natalie keep talking. She couldn't help it. Maybe Leland wasn't the only matchmaker in their house.

"And now you call him Adrian?"

Natalie sniffled and walked side-by-side with T.K as she pushed the cart towards the door and through the parking lot to the car. "I was the one he wanted to give him sponge baths in the hospital. I basically lived in that room with him for six weeks. He said that he wanted me to call him Adrian now, and besides - after we went through all of that together it _would_ be kind of strange to go back to calling him Mr. Monk all the time."

Natalie helped T.K move the groceries from the cart to the trunk, careful to keep one bag separate from the rest - that one was a secret surprise she'd bought for Adrian. "Julie still slips up and calls him Mr. Monk sometimes, but we're working on it. We're - working on a lot of things, the three of us."

T.K took note of the fact that Natalie's daughter was also now allowed to call Adrian Monk by his first name when it had clearly been strictly employer/employee for many years.

"But yes, to answer your question, now I call him Adrian." She smiled. "I even changed his name in my phone."

* * *

Once all of the groceries were secure, T.K. started the car, pulled out of the parking space and headed back for Natalie's home, surreptitiously checking her watch when Natalie was preoccupied with her phone. When she was at a red light T.K's fingers flew across her own phone as she wrote a message to Leland. She wanted to know where he and Monk were and whether he could keep him out longer so she could continue talking to Natalie. Leland's reply was almost immediate and said that they'd be back within the hour, Monk was getting tired. T.K frowned and tossed her phone in the center console. She considered her next move and her next words carefully.

"I didn't know you could stay overnight in the hospital with someone if you weren't family. I know that Leland stayed those three nights you couldn't come because Julie had given you her cold, and - don't get me wrong, Natalie, I love my husband, but he's used to flashing his police badge and getting what he wants from people."

This time T.K was so glad her eyes strayed from the road in that particular moment because she was able to see Natalie's cheeks flushed with color as Natalie spoke. "The day of the...the day _it_ happened..." T.K also noted that Natalie still had trouble saying the words of what had actually happened that day. "I..._we_ were asking anyone we could find about Adrian's - condition, and they asked me if I was his wife. Randy answered for me and said I was his _significant other_. We never corrected anyone and Adrian never did, either. It, um, it surprised the heck out of me. We never really talked about it before he got released and haven't since."

"Interesting. And do you want to talk about that now?" T.K remained non-committal but noticed that Natalie looked at her curiously for a brief second.

"Well...I guess I don't know what to say about it. We started off telling everyone that this was my connection with him, which gave me pretty much unlimited access. And, the more we were together, the more natural it felt. Those few weeks were hard, but they were also good in terms of our relationship. Even though you work for someone for a number of years and think you know them, you really get to see another side of them when you're in a situation like that. It brought us closer together." she said, drifting off into thought. "T.K. I'm not sure why I am saying all of this right now, but you are a really good listener. There are some things going on right now, and they kind of have me confused. And...I don't know...Adrian swears by talking out his problems with Dr. Bell, maybe a little talk will help me sort things out." she said.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" T.K. asked.

"Well, I told you that his being in the hospital drew us closer together. What I didn't tell you is that, it wasn't just emotionally closer. We almost...well, we almost kissed."

T.K. was taken aback by this revelation, but said nothing as Natalie continued.

"The night before he was released, after he had the body cast removed, he was upset over something that to me was minor, but clearly had him upset. We talked for a while that night. He still wouldn't open up entirely, but he calmed down quite a bit. Then early the next morning, we were just waking up, and I had my head on his chest and he was holding me, and we talked about what was _really_ bothering him, and well, the longer we laid there I just felt drawn to him. I looked in those beautiful browns of his, and I don't know. It was all so emotional. Then I saw that he had a certain look in his eyes...I've dated more than a few guys and I've seen that look before. Anyway, we moved closer together...well, I moved closer to him, - technically, I think I was the one to initiate the movement, but he didn't resist- things got pretty intense and I just knew that we were going to kiss...I closed my eyes and I could actually feel his breath on my face as we inched closer." she said, closing her eyes and touching her hand to her face.

T.K had to concentrate so she didn't run off the road at the two equally-important confessions: that Adrian Monk had almost kissed Natalie and that at some point in the hospital stay they were sleeping in his bed together. Leland had not warned her about any of this. How on earth was she supposed to do recon work for him and find out how Natalie felt if she didn't know important need-to-know information beforehand? She was going to talk to him about this later, that was for darn sure. T.K looked straight ahead, in part to concentrate on her driving and in part so Natalie wouldn't see the stupid smile that was now on her face.

"Well, what happened? Don't stop now!" T.K. said.

Natalie's cheeks flushed even more. "We um...we got interrupted. The floor nurse came in and threw open the blinds and wished us a good morning." She paused. "You know, maybe that kiss wasn't supposed to happen. I mean, like I said, it _was_ a very emotional moment. Things were intense." Then, she began to cry. "What if it was not what he really wanted? It's been over a decade since Trudy died, and I've never known him even _once_ to go out on an actual date. I know that he had a little crush on this woman from Zemenia for like a millisecond, but I don't think that they ever kissed or anything like that. What if he _can't_ do that and what if it was all me pushing him someplace that he ultimately could never go? Oh T.K. It makes sense now. Maybe that is what was bothering him this morning. Things were going really well and then...I...I touched his hand, and from that point forward...things became really formal. What if he's bothered that maybe I'm wanting to take things in a certain direction when in reality, he's never going to be able to reciprocate those feelings? I could totally be reading into things. It may have been fate that stepped in and stopped that kiss."

T.K drummed her hands on the steering wheel, pushing past Natalie's insecure ramblings for a moment, and waited the acceptable amount of time for a dramatic pause before hitting Natalie with her next question. Leland would be proud of her if he could see this. "Natalie. Did you want him to kiss you?"

Natalie stared straight ahead out the windshield. "More than anything I've wanted in a long time."

T.K. smiled internally. Her mission had been accomplished and it was clear, Leland had absolutely **nothing** to worry about as far as Natalie's feelings were concerned. The question she had now for Leland, after talking with Natalie, was how sure was he about Adrian's feelings for Natalie? At least one thing was clear. Mr. and Mrs. Stottlemeyer were going to have an interesting conversation when he got home that evening.


	21. The Matchmakers

T.K. Stottlemeyer was only thirty pages from finishing one of the many, many books on her nightstand when she heard a key turning in the front door and soon thereafter the familiar sounds of her husband putting his phone, wallet and keys on the front table and his holster and gun in the lock-box. Sighing, she bookmarked the page and lowered the volume on the television so she could hear him come upstairs. One of these days, she would be able to start and finish a book in one evening. But that night wouldn't be tonight. She and Leland had much to talk about.

He gave her a quick kiss hello as soon as he saw her, before taking sweatpants and a sleep shirt from the drawer and headed for the shower. She picked up her book again while he showered and he emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later looking less like someone that had worked non-stop for the last week on a case and much more like her husband. He came and sat down on the edge of the bed and took the book from her hands, slowly dragging his knuckles across her cheek, capturing her mouth in a proper kiss. "Welcome home to me," she whispered seconds before his mouth met hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tasted the mouthwash on his breath, allowing herself a few minutes to get lost in kissing him like she always did before reluctantly pulling back and patting the sheets on his side of the bed. "Tell me how your day was."

Leland crawled into bed next to his wife and immediately opened his arms for her and she snuggled into his side. He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head and told her in basic terms what he could about the resolution of the week-long case they had just solved, One of the things he loved most about his wife was how she encouraged him to not be afraid to talk to her about his work, which he did until he stopped and looked at her, chuckling. He tapped her on the nose and she smiled at him.

"Honey, I love you, but don't try to pretend you heard one word I just said."

T.K. laughed. "You are the one that insisted that , while you were out talking with Monk, I take Natalie Teeger out shopping today for the sole purpose of finding out how she feels about him. Excuse me for wanting to trade stories of what we both found out." She tugged the sheets closer around her. "I like Natalie. She's really nice and I think we could be friends in our own right, not just friends out of necessity because of you two men." She felt him shift around in bed and pull her closer to him to where her head was on his chest. "So thank you," she murmured. "I know you had an ulterior motive but I had fun today and it made me almost feel less -"

Leland didn't like the melancholy tone her in her voice or the way her voice trailed off and told her as such. "T.K?" he murmured. "Finish your sentence. I'm a cop and I have ways of making you talk."

T.K. played with the bottom of his shirt and considered her next words _very _carefully. He always knew when she was lying and wouldn't believe her if she tried to say it was nothing. "Lonely," she finally admitted, hastening to move on from this when she felt him react by how his arms tightened around her as if to protect her. "Leland, your friends are great, honestly. I'm not saying they're not. But they're your friends and they've always been your friends. I'm the newcomer. I know my place."

Leland was unnervingly quiet for a very, very long time and she wished she'd never brought it up. He turned her around to face him and when he talked his tone was as serious and as resolute as she'd ever heard it, at least when it came to her. "You, T.K Stottemeyer, are not a newcomer. You are my wife, and your place is right here with me. Wherever I am. Got it?" She bit her lip and nodded, lowering her head. He lifted her chin to meet his gaze and when she looked at him she saw that special, private look in his eyes he only had for her. "I will fix this. I promise. We've been married for a year and a half, T.K, how long have you felt like this?"

T.K. only sighed. "Tell me what you found out about Monk and I'll tell you about Natalie." He looked like he wanted to say something else so she touched his arm to stop him. "Please."

Leland whispered against her hair that they would definitely be talking more about this tomorrow, but, as he always tried to do, he would do what she wanted. "Monk and I had an interesting conversation today," he started. "Not that conversations with Monk aren't interesting just by virtue of him being Monk."

T.K. wrinkled her nose. "Did he apologize for having you come pick him up off the bathroom floor at midnight?" She could only imagine the look on Leland's face and tried to backtrack. "I'm sorry, Leland, I didn't mean that. I like Monk, you know I do, he's -"

His arms tightened around her and he pressed multiple kisses to her temple. "I'll fix this, I promise," he murmured, quietly. "I don't ever want you to feel like you don't belong." He sighed. "Believe me, I know Monk can be a bit much at times, no one knows that more than me, but he's my best friend. I want him happy." They were both quiet for awhile. "You know, he's lucky I've been trained in getting suspects to talk. It took almost an hour just for him to tell me that he had a dream about Natalie last night."

She silently blessed her husband for changing the subject and getting them back on a safer topic. T.K.'s mind fashed back to the various things she and Natalie had discussed that afternoon and about how she said he behaved that morning. She wondered if maybe this dream contributed to his behavior. "A _dream_? What kind of dream?" she asked.

Leland smirked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "The very _tame_ version of the type of dreams I have about you."

T.K stifled a laugh and understood at once what he was trying to say. Leland had woken her up more than once in the middle of the night after having those types of dreams and both of them enjoyed the aftermath immensely. "Tell me more. About _his_ dreams, not _yours_." She giggled. "I know about yours."

It took the majority if not all of Leland's self-control to stay focused on the topic at hand, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Don't start," he murmured. She could feel him smiling. "But, to answer your question, it was like interrogating a witness, T.K. I'm amazed he talked about it at all, even with me. The Monk of even a few months ago would have rather hiked through nature and set himself on fire than talk about his personal dreams like that or the idea of being romantically interested in a woman, any woman. But, once he started talking, don't get me wrong it was still super-frustrating, but he..."

" - he felt safe with you and he wanted to talk about it with someone?"

Her husband nodded slowly, obviously thinking. "He said he had a dream about Natalie and he told her in his dream about how much he wanted her in his life and about how much he loved her. I'm almost certain his version of hot is different than mine and every other man on planet Earth, but, he said the dream was getting hot until he woke up because Natalie dropped something."

Now she was intrigued. "In his dream?" she asked.

"No." Leland grinned. "In her living room, at the foot of his bed, while he was sleeping. Here's the thing...Monk's ninety-nine percent sure that he was talking in his sleep and Natalie heard him saying all of those things."

Leland felt T.K. suck in a surprised breath. "Natalie was there? She - heard him?"

"Yes. And I learned a long time ago to take him at his word when it comes to what that man remembers. Julie told me they were making 'goo-goo eyes' at each other this morning. That's a direct quote."

"Leland Stottlemeyer, shame on you," T.K. admonished him, turning back just enough to where she could smack him on the shoulder, before resettling herself where she was. "It's bad enough that you enlisted me to do your detective work for you. You can't bring Natalie's daughter into this, too."

Leland laughed. "I did no such thing, on my honor. I called Natalie's house this morning to make sure Monk wasn't any worse for the wear after getting up-close-and-personal with Natalie's bathroom floor and Julie made the comment, completely unprompted, that her mom and Monk were acting strange."

"What did you say to that?"

"I told her she needed to elaborate because Monk always acts strange."

"And **there's **the sensitive man I fell in love with," T.K. rolled her eyes, her eyes dancing with laughter, easily putting a stop to her husband's attempts to tickle her. "Did Adrian tell you anything else about this dream?"

"It took him long enough to tell me Natalie was in it, T.K." Leland told her. "His head was all out of whack this morning thinking about the possibility that she heard him, thinking about what the dream meant, and thinking about how the fact that he would be living with her and Julie for the foreseeable future meant that the three of them were becoming more of a family, I guess. It spooked him."

T.K. didn't answer at first but silently ruminated on what Leland had just said, wondering if that was the real reason her husband's friend's head was 'all out of whack.' Dreams were one thing. Sometimes they meant something in real life and sometimes they didn't. But if Monk was as formal with Natalie as she had claimed him to be and the idea of being a family with Natalie and Julie spooked him, maybe he didn't like what he had dreamed about, once he had time to think it through. Maybe he didn't like Natalie in that way after all.

"Natalie didn't tell me anything about a dream," she mused, considering this new information and what it meant. "But she did almost have a panic attack when we were in the self-care aisle of the store."

Leland raised his eyebrow at that and she explained. Her heart had gone out to the other woman.

"She was looking at all the different kinds of aftershave trying to find the one Adrian said he liked, I presume he's as particular about that as he is everything else. I actually had to help her look for it because when she couldn't find it at first, she started crying. She started talking about how she couldn't do anything right to help him and she'd never, ever felt more useless and helpless. She said that _you_ could probably find it, though." T.K. held up her hand so Leland wouldn't interrupt. "She wasn't upset about the aftershave, Leland. I think Monk hurt her, very much, when he wouldn't talk to her or let her help him when he fell - but he responded to you."

Leland shook his head, aggravated. "You know, in my defense, I told Monk the same thing that night, but he was determined to not ask her for any more help than he already required from her. He wanted to take some of the burden off of her by doing the little things himself. He means well, T.K., he always does. What's happening is he is trying to put Natalie's feelings before his own and if you knew Monk even a few years ago you'd know what an accomplishment that is for him. He just doesn't think sometimes how his actions come across to other people, especially Natalie. He's trying to be considerate."

"The way he was considerate when he worried Natalie so badly that she had to call you in the middle of the night to come play doctor?"

"T.K..." he sighed, and she murmured an apology. That _had_ been petty of her. "He said he was sorry. He even told me specifically to tell you he was sorry. Don't hold it against him." He reached for her hand under the covers and she immediately took it, entwining her fingers with his. "Did you at least find the aftershave he wanted?"

She closed her eyes and half-murmured a noise that he assumed meant yes, they had. "She bought two, just in case. I told her to do that just because I hated seeing her cry like that. Then we went to pick up his prescriptions and then she made a special trip to the candy aisle because he's eaten all of the Snickers out of their candy bowl in the two days he's been there. She bought him something else she wouldn't let me see." T.K. paused for a moment, then looked up at Leland. "Did you know that they almost kissed? I didn't even have to ask."

Leland was so legitimately surprised at that announcement that he dropped her hand. She reached for his hand and again curled her fingers around his. "Yesterday? Before his dream?"

"When he was still in the hospital," she told him. "The morning he was released. She said they were in his hospital bed together and they were talking, she called it an intense conversation, I remember that specifically, and Natalie told me that if the nurse hadn't shown up when she did that they were going to kiss."

"They were in bed together, _again_?" Leland asked. "Are you sure?"

T.K.'s mouth dropped open. She was completely invested in this potential love story, now, between her husband's friend and his employee. "**_When_** were they in bed together **_before?!_**"

Leland smirked because he knew T.K wouldn't be able to see him. _Look at her, all interested in this_. "One of the first days after the accident," he told her. "Julie was there before Randy and I were and she told us that her mom and Monk were sleeping in the same bed."

T.K narrowed her eyes and said his name in that long and slow warning tone that meant he was in trouble and he held up his hand in a preemptive time-out gesture.

"Julie told me because it was unusual enough that she felt she needed to let me know before any of the nurses or Randy found them and said anything embarrassing. I swear on my honor she wasn't being my spy. Believe me," he told her.

T.K made a non-committal sound that indicated clearly that she didn't believe him and they would be talking about using Julie for manipulative purposes later.

But for now, she let it go so she could tell the rest of the story and hear Leland's reaction. "Yes. They were in his bed, according to Natalie, and he was holding her. And she said that they had this intense discussion about something that had been bothering him, and they were just about to kiss when they got interrupted. But she spent all of today second-guessing herself about everything that happened that morning and about whether or not he wanted it to happen. She's convinced herself he won't be able to reciprocate her feelings and that she pushed him too far."

"Second-guessing?" he echoed. "Why would she be doing that?" He asked, although based upon what Monk had told him he had a good feeling about why Natalie might be re-thinking some things.

T.K bit her lip. She didn't want to speak badly of Monk, especially after what she had already said out loud about him and how Leland had reacted, but - Leland asked. "Because, she said they were doing well this morning and were having a good time at breakfast with Julie, but she touched his hand and she said it was like everything changed. He started getting distant and started talking to her like she was only his employee and he wanted to see to it that she was reimbursed for the _work_ she was doing for him. Which is nice, I suppose, if she _was_ only his employee, but now she's worried that she came on too strong by almost kissing him and that maybe moving their relationship to that level is something he doesn't want and he's trying to figure out how to let her down nicely."

Leland remained quiet, knowing by the way she was animated now in telling this story that she wasn't finished.

"I let her finish getting it all out and I asked her if she wanted Adrian to kiss her and she said, and I quote, 'more than I've ever wanted anything in a long time'. Leland, she was crying when she was telling me all of this. And then we started to leave the store and she turned the radio back on and I knew that meant she didn't want to talk about it anymore. But as luck would have it that radio station was on it's uninterrupted block of love songs and as soon as she heard the first one she made a face and said I could change the station to whatever I wanted. Then she looked out the window. We only made it two blocks before we had to pull over."

"Pull over?" Leland interrupted her. "Something didn't go wrong with your car, did it?"

T.K. snorted and almost laughed. Men. "Natalie was getting to the...you know when you go past regular crying and you get to the ugly-crying stage, where it's like you can't control yourself and you know it's going to be awhile?"

"I've seen you cry before, T.K.," he responded.

She shook her head. "No, you haven't. Not like that, and I very much hope you never do. But that's why I had to pull over. She was full-on sobbing and wouldn't even talk to me, just clung to me and cried. It took me ten minutes to calm her down." T.K. pushed herself up to a sitting position so she could turn around and be face-to-face with her husband. "You tell me, Leland, exactly how sure are you of his feelings for her? Because if he doesn't - if he can't..."

Leland shook his head in frustration. "I'm as sure about his feelings for her as I'm sure about my feelings for you." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "T.K., he told me point-blank that he was _in love_ with her. He got mad at me for having to state the obvious. He's just - this isn't easy for him, honey. Even more so than most of his life isn't easy for him. He's kind of stepping into uncharted territory here dealing with feelings that he hasn't had since his wife and he's afraid that if he makes the wrong move, he'll lose her. He said he couldn't bear that."

He smiled when she let out an obvious sigh of relief. "Thank you, Leland, thank you. I was worried. She - she loves him. She loves him so much. We were talking about how scared she was when he fell and he wouldn't let her in the bathroom and she said...she said that she died when she heard about the explosion and about Monk and Julie being trapped in that building and how only half of her heart came back to life when all of you saw Julie coming out of the building. The rest of her heart was still inside, with him."

Leland was uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments after his wife's last sentence. "She tried to get herself into the building to go after them and I had to catch her and hold her against me so she wouldn't run. Had to tell her it wouldn't help Julie or Monk if she got herself hurt trying to help them. It only made her cry more and she hated me for stopping her and keeping her from them. She hit me and then she just fell into me and started sobbing. I don't think I took care of her as well as I should have, especially when we were all in the hospital. I was too focused on Monk and getting him help."

"The four of you take care of each other, Leland. Natalie knows that," T.K said quietly. "She knows you're Monk's best friend and you were worried. She also knows you're his medical contact so your attention had to be there on getting him the proper medical help once you got to the hospital. Just like I'm sure she was worried about Monk, but her immediate focus was on Julie and her health."

Leland looked over at T.K. when she stayed quiet for a significant amount of time, and grumbled under his breath. "Go ahead and ask."

"I didn't say anything."

"You're thinking something that you want to say to me but you don't know how and you're thinking it very loudly. Go ahead, honey, you have the floor to ask whatever you want. You can ask me anything, I hope you know that."

T.K. stayed quiet for a few more moments and spoke after multiple attempts to get the words out. "Leland, I...I think it's incredibly clear based on what I saw today that Natalie feels the same way Adrian does, but what would you have done if she hadn't?"

Leland paused and reached out to touch her cheek. "I lived with Monk for three months after his wife died, did you know that?" he finally said, his voice low. T.K. stayed perfectly still and knew better than to say anything to interrupt him when he was talking about something that he rarely talked about. "T.K., I love you so much and I can't imagine what I would do if anything happened to you, but Monk, he - he fell apart, completely, when Trudy died. She was my friend also and for a long time I wasn't able to - mourn her properly because all my attention was on Monk. Making sure he ate, making sure he took care of himself, for the first couple of days it was making sure he wasn't going to hurt himself. The SFPD called it a psychological discharge when we had to release him from the force, but it was worse than that. He didn't leave his house for three and a half years, T.K. I was the one that found Sharona for him."

Leland looked down and T.K. continued to hold his hand, waiting patiently for him to finish. She'd wait however long it took and momentarily any idea of their recon work for Adrian and Natalie was forgotten, this was the most she'd heard him talk about the death of Monk's wife in all the time she'd known him.

"The friend I had died when Trudy died," he continued, quietly. "But I accepted it and learned to appreciate who he became because he's like my brother. But, in the last few months, T.K, and especially since the explosion, I - something happened and I'm seeing my friend come back, little by little. The friend I knew fourteen years ago. I don't want to lose that. I don't want him to lose himself again. And if Natalie is something that helps him come back to life like that, I'm going to do anything I can to help. But I had to know how Natalie felt because I will be damned if I let Monk get hurt again. It almost took us both down the first time he went through it."

T.K. moved to where she was fully in front of him, sitting on her knees. She took his face in her hands and kissed him. "You are without a doubt the sweetest man I've ever known, Leland Stottlemeyer," she whispered, punctuating each couple of words with kisses. "I love you for wanting to protect him and I love how much you care, but - sweetheart, this is something Monk and Natalie have to figure out and work through on their own. And they will because they're strong. He's strong. You can't help help him with this."


	22. The Gift of Love

For the next week Adrian's interactions with Natalie were like that of a child that had a secret (which, of course, he did), one that would change both of their lives but he couldn't share. Natalie would frequently find him staring at her during the day, mostly when they were alone at home but sometimes even when they were around their friends at the station, and every time he bowed his head and gave her a bashful half-smile at having been caught. This did much to ease the tension and insecurity that she felt inside concerning how he felt about her and she was on the road to convincing herself his behavior at breakfast that morning was just him having to come to terms with having a romantic dream about her. If only she could stop her mind from continuously whispering those doubts...

What Natalie Teeger didn't know was that she had become a member of an elite group -a group that prior to now had contained only one other person, Trudy. This group had taken possession of his heart, and it was only to them that he was willing to reveal a carefully guarded side of himself – the side that was hopelessly romantic and full of love, adventuresome and full of passion. Only one other living person, Leland Stottlemeyer, had an inkling that this side existed. He'd seen it in the way Monk interacted with Trudy and also by the way Trudy interacted with Monk. Theirs had been a rock-solid marriage, even though there were secrets revealed after her death. But Trudy had paid for those secrets with her life, and of course nothing would have diminished Monk's love for her. Once Adrian Monk opened his heart and let someone in, it was for forever.

And now, some thirty years after he had fallen in love for the first and only time until now, he realized that Natalie had done it. She'd broken through his carefully constructed defenses and made her way into his life and heart to the extent that he could no longer imagine his life without her in it. He didn't want to imagine it. No longer could he say truthfully that Trudy Ellison was the love of his life, because now there were two. He loved Natalie Teeger also, without reservation; and he knew now that wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He held her happiness and her safety, her wants and her needs, above his own, and he would do absolutely anything required to make sure that she - and Julie - were happy and loved. It was both exhilarating and scary.

Adrian knew that Leland had been right. It was time for him to do something about all of these feelings that he had and this something included sharing how he felt with Natalie. He also knew that Leland had been right when he said that when it came down to it, the decision to be "all in" as far as a relationship with Natalie was the easiest decision he'd made in a long, long time. That said a lot, considering how indecisive he was in the mundane aspects of his life. So, as he thought about the pros and cons of embarking upon a love relationship with this wonderful woman, his desire to be happy with Natalie - now in his mind, _his_ Natalie - had grown to the degree that it overwhelmed the always-present fear that Monk felt about – well, pretty much everything.

He'd come to the conclusion in the last few days that his Natalie was worth risking his heart for and now came the question of how exactly to talk to her about how he felt about her. Their almost-kiss in the hospital and their interactions ever since told him that at least a fraction of his feelings were reciprocated. How deep her feelings for him went, he had no idea. He hadn't been the best boss or friend to her for much of time they'd worked together. He had no way of knowing for sure if she was even capable of going outside of the box of him being her employer and seeing him in that context. He had no way of knowing if she would want to have a future with him. He didn't want to screw things up, nor did he want to damage or make awkward their relationship in any way. It was enough to keep his analytical mind busy for days. Somehow, someway, he was going to confess his feelings to her and get up the courage to take their relationship to the next level, if she was willing (and oh, how he hoped she was willing.)

And so, he pondered these things inside. And so, he plotted what he wanted to do. And so, he passed each day with only one thing on his mind – how to actually take that next step. How was he actually going to move forward and reveal to Natalie the true intents and thoughts of his heart?

* * *

_The watch_. It was the watch that had started all of this.

Well, actually it wasn't. It was Natalie herself who had so captured Adrian's imagination one day after they were finishing a case together that he felt compelled to give her a gift, a gift that in his mind was as unique and lovely as her. He had designed it himself and, as was his usual custom, he paid attention to every detail. The watch was made of gold and had ten perfect diamonds punctuating each hour except for the twelve and the six. The dial was made of white enamel that carried a subtle pearl-like sheen to it, and the crown of the watch contained a single aquamarine gemstone as did the part of the watch that attached the hands to the dial – a color that Adrian picked out to match her eyes.

He'd spared no expense in getting it for her, but now, he had lost it.

He wanted it back. He wanted it back to give to Natalie, to show her just a fragment of what he felt for her in his heart – to express the impact that she had made on his life, and to give to her when he finally asked if she would possibly be interested in dating him.

He planned on pulling out all the stops. Dinner for two and a night for just them. He would figure out what to do about Julie. He would talk to Natalie and finally tell her how he felt. Finally, he would give her the watch and try to explain to her the thought and meaning behind it.

But first he had to find it.

* * *

Locating the watch became his obsession. He knew that the crime scene was still pretty much intact due to the periodic updates he received from Leland about the still-ongoing investigation. And he remembered from his fragmented memories of the explosion that the watch wasn't near the part of the store that suffered the blast when everything happened, and therefore it might still be in one piece. So, he made an excuse to Natalie one day as to why her presence wasn't needed at the station and convinced Leland and Randy to take him straight from work to the former jewelry store.

Due to the limitations posed by his wheelchair, he didn't expect to be able to do much of the searching himself; but, he could tell Leland and Randy where he thought they should look. Besides, he needed to be there. He needed to be there to take the watch back and inspect it. And, if it needed to be fixed then he would have it fixed.

Leland said they'd take his car because it had the space in the trunk for Monk's wheelchair and Adrian was anxious to go. But, when they reached the site and he looked out the window to see the rubble and debris for the first time since the explosion, he didn't expect the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't dealt the emotional impact of the explosion itself at all. The only time he touched on it were the few nights Julie had nightmares and came downstairs in the middle of the night to talk to him when she thought he was sleeping. She still felt guilt about what she believed was her role in his getting hurt, and he knew that she needed to talk things through in order to get past it. So, he pretended to be asleep so she could air things out, never letting her know he was awake for fear she would stop talking.

And now, it was time for him to come face with the reality of what had happened and how close he had come to dying. Unfortunately, the moment Leland parked close to the scene, Adrian froze. Leland's hand touched his shoulder and Randy was quiet, but he hardly noticed either of them.

"Adrian." Leland said, and Monk only slightly looked up at him. He was too busy looking at the site, at the horrific destruction which still scarred the landscape that had once contained one of San Francisco's finest jewelry stores. The site at which he and Julie had almost died.

He remembered it all, so clearly it was as though he was back there beneath the rubble. He remembered when he first saw the four robbers walk into the building and how he called Julie to come back to him, so she would be safe, with him. He remembered the threats. He remembered Julie trying to run and the terrified look on her face when they had her trapped and pointed a gun toward her head. He remembered how she tried to run back to him to keep her safe, and he remembered charging the gunman and tossing Julie as far as he could to safety, away from the gunfire. He remembered Ty falling on the detonation device and the explosion. He remembered waking up and feeling nothing below his waist; and, he remembered how that really didn't matter to him because, above all, his only priority was to make sure Julie stayed safe. How would he have ever explained it to Natalie if something had happened to Julie while he had her out on an excursion? Natalie would have rightly never forgiven him. He would never have forgiven himself.

After a few moments of painful reflection, Monk looked up to Leland indicating that it was okay to continue and the three men got out of Leland's car. Leland and Randy helped Adrian into his wheelchair and soon they were carefully combing the rubble of the explosion: Leland and Randy doing the majority of the searching and Monk giving directions from the perimeter of the wreckage, where it was safe for him to be. Leland looked back every so often to check on his friend. Adrian would give a slight nod of recognition and Leland would continue helping Randy look for the watch Adrian was so very insistent that they find.

The commander knew exactly why this watch was so important to his friend so he was okay with he and Randy staying at the site for the rest of the afternoon, if necessary, to look. That was, until he looked back at Monk for probably the fifth time that afternoon and saw his friend clutching the arms of his wheelchair and staring straight ahead at something that Leland couldn't see. He clapped Randy on the shoulder and instructed him to keep looking, telling him that he'd be back in a minute. Then he strode deliberately across the rubble and straight to Monk, taking his wheelchair by the handles and moving him back towards his car, to the side closest to the grass and opposite the blast site. Leland leaned against the side of his car and patiently waited for Monk to say something. "I should have realized how being here would be hard for you." Leland offered by way of apology. "I'm sorry, buddy."

Adrian furrowed his brow and looked up at his friend. "There's nothing left. All of the structure, the beams, they're all on the ground. How did we survive?"

Leland paused and put one hand on Monk's shoulder and looked out at the rubble himself. "It's hard to say. You shouldn't have. But, I guess you survived, because you were supposed to. I, for one, am sure glad you did."

Adrian gave a slight smile and nod of appreciation for what Leland was saying. "Me too." was his only reply.

* * *

Leland stayed with Monk a few minutes longer until they both snapped to attention when they heard Randy whistle and wave for the commander's attention. Monk pushed his wheelchair forward but Leland told him to stay where he was. He unlocked his car and reached inside for a bottle of water and handed it to Monk. Adrian made a face when he saw the label and it didn't say Summit Creek, but Leland was already gone, heading in Randy's direction to where the captain stood with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Monk okay?" Randy asked in a low voice when the commander reached him.

"He'll be better when we get out of here with that watch," was all Leland said at first, reaching for the piece of paper in Randy's hand. Randy held it back. "Do you have something?"

Randy shrugged. "The sales receipt for the watch."

Leland exhaled. Finally, they had somewhere to start. "Good. Show me exactly where you found it and we can work outwards from that point. He must have been standing where he dropped the receipt when everything went down. Let's get looking."

"You're right. It must have been where he was standing...unless... the robbers went around the store collecting receipts. You know, whoever made the biggest purchase must have had the most money so the robbers would have known who to go for first... " he theorized.

"Randy, shut the hell up," Leland snapped.

Randy looked back and forth from the receipt to Commander Stottlemeyer and back to the receipt again, pouting.

Leland sighed in frustration. "What is it, Randy? We're here to find that watch for Monk. You know him, he's our friend. Now get looking."

Randy only sighed and flapped the sales receipt in his hand, glaring at it and then at Leland. "You've never bought me a $2,800 gold and diamond watch."

Leland had to catch himself before he swallowed his toothpick. Randy raised his eyebrows as if to say, see? It's right there in print - when Leland snatched the receipt from Randy's hand to read it for himself. He looked back at his car where his miserly friend sat in his wheelchair watching them intently and then looked back at Randy, shaking his head. "Well, I'll be damned," he chuckled. "No, I've never bought you an expensive watch like this, and I can tell you of a surety Randy, I probably never will."

It was fifteen minutes of painstakingly searching the rubble surrounding where Randy had found the receipt when finally, Leland found a dinged and dirty leather jewelry box, elongated in the shape that one would put a watch in. Leland opened the box, only to make sure the watch was okay to give to Monk, and couldn't help it but let out a low whistle when he saw the extravagant creation inside. Randy came to look before Leland could snap the box closed, and Leland warned Randy not to say a word about anything once they got back to their friend.

"You will **not** ask him about how much he spent on this watch or when he's going to give it to Natalie. Anything he wants to tell you about this watch is his business to share." They were a few feet away from Leland's car and Monk's wheelchair when Leland yanked on the lapel of Randy's jacket and pulled him to the side. "Understand me, Disher? You don't get to crack jokes or tease him. Not about this. Do and I swear I'll get out my gun and I'll shoot you."

* * *

As they reached the car, Monk looked over at both men. Their faces were very serious and his hopeful expression melted into sadness.

"No luck?" he asked, with forlorn eyes and a pouting lip.

Randy sighed. "Yeah...well..." and then Adrian looked down and sighed.

Leland looked at Randy then back at Monk and reached into his pocket and fished out the slightly worse-for-the-wear leather watch box.

"Is this what you were looking for, buddy?" Leland asked.

Monk looked at the box and then looked up at Leland, his sad expression immediately beaming. Opening the box, he saw that everything was fully intact and as Disher and Stottlemeyer watched on, they smiled at one another for the happiness that finding this little treasure had brought to their friend.

* * *

Later that evening, T.K Stottlemeyer was in the kitchen finishing up the last few details on dinner. Leland called her on the way back from dropping Monk off at Natalie's house to tell her he'd be home soon, but she didn't know that he was so close to home. She jumped in surprise when, without warning, she felt him wrap his arms around her from behind and pull her against him. She carefully set down the knife she had been using to cut bread for the sandwiches, allowing herself to sink into him and sighing in pleasure when she felt his mouth on her neck. "Better be careful, whoever you are, my husband will be home any minute."

"Excuse you?" he laughed, turning her around in his arms so he could kiss her properly. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

T.K.'s eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Thoughts of dinner were all but forgotten. "I always think I'm funny," she murmured, kissing him again. "Hi."

Leland's mouth tugged into a smile. "Hey, you," he murmured, capturing her mouth in another kiss. "I got something for you on the way home."

He instructed her to close her eyes, which she did reluctantly. When he said she could open them again she saw him standing in front of her exactly like he had been before but with a small bouquet of flowers in his left hand and an envelope with her name on it in his best handwriting in his right. T.K. wordlessly took both items from him, touched the tips of the flowers with her fingers, and brought them up to her nose so she could smell them. She then laid both the flowers and envelope carefully down on the table and cupped his face in her hands for a long, tender kiss. It was a long time before either of them pulled away and they would have stayed locked in each other's arms for even longer had T.K not had to turn around and press stop on the microwave when it started to beep incessantly.

After opening the microwave door to allow the cooked rice to cool, she went back to her husband for another kiss. "Thank you for the flowers. And it's not even our anniversary."

"Hey," he laughed, feigning offence. "Am I not allowed to buy my wife flowers whenever I want to? Is there a rule somewhere that it has to be our anniversary and only our anniversary?"

T.K. blushed. "Of course not, I just know you and I know you're not the flower-buying kind of guy."

Leland sighed and shook his head, taking the envelope from the kitchen table and pretending to put it back in his jacket pocket. "I don't suppose I'm the concert-tickets-buying kind of guy, either?" T.K instantly took the envelope from his hand and he watched her, a small smile on his face, as her eyes scanned the pair of tickets - Garth Brooks, her favorite country singer. Eleventh row.

The week before, he'd heard her on the phone complaining to whoever she was talking to about how expensive the tickets were and how the show was sold out even if she could afford tickets. She was so patient with him, with the long hours and the late-night phone calls and the constant excitement that his line of work brought to her and their life together, he was happy to do this for her. The look on her face - that happy, amazed look (and the way that she kissed him as her way of saying thank you) - was worth every penny the tickets cost.

T.K hugged him and kissed him. "I don't know what's gotten into you tonight and I'm not even going to ask you how much you spent on these because I really don't think I want to know, so I'll just say thank you. Thank you, honey. I - I don't expect you to go with me because I know you're not really a fan of Garth -"

Leland laughed and held up his hand, holding her firm around the waist so she wouldn't jump up and down. "I would love to go with you, if you'll have me. It's something that makes you happy, T.K. and that's all I want to do with this and the flowers, to make you happy."

He slowly ran his finger down her cheek. "Randy and I were with Monk earlier helping him find a watch he'd made for Natalie and it just got me thinking about how much I love you and how I don't always tell you that enough and how I don't really express that a lot sometimes in the form of tangible things. It may not be a watch, and I may not have designed it, but I know you like his music, and well...I thought maybe it might make you happy."

T.K. covered his mouth with her hand. Her eyes shined with unshed tears, though there were some stray tears that escaped and trickled down her cheeks. "I don't need things to make me happy," she whispered. "I've never needed things. The only thing I need to make me happy is you." She kissed him softly, and he immediately wrapped both his arms around her tightly when she stepped closer to him.

Leaning back, she took her husband's face in her hands. "I want you to listen to me and I want you to understand. I love you. I worry about you every single day you leave here. And the fact that you…" she swallowed and held up her hand to stop him from saying anything. She kissed him again. "You come home to me every night, safely. That's the best and only gift I need from you."

* * *

After they finished dinner, T.K and Leland spent some time on the couch telling each other about their respective days as they waited for the evening news. Leland came to discover that whatever might have been on the news that night was much less interesting than the way his wife was looking at him. Soon thereafter, she moved the remote from next to his leg and moved over onto his lap, straddling him as her warm hands were tugging at and unbuttoning his shirt - her fingers starting from the top button and working her way down. She laughed in surprise when he stood and picked her up in his strong arms and headed for the stairs. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she simultaneously kissed him the entire way to their bedroom and finished unbuttoning his shirt. He tossed her on their bed as soon as they made it to the bedroom and within seconds his unbuttoned shirt hit the floor. He had her pressed against the bed and was kissing her, his hands now unbuttoning her shirt, when his cell phone rang.

"Please…please don't answer it," T.K whispered, her hands reaching for his undershirt. "Leland -"

But the phone wouldn't stop ringing and both Leland and T.K Stottlemeyer heard Leland's distinctive ringtone for SFPD-related calls. T.K let out a frustrated sigh and pushed Leland off of her, making a motion with her hand for him to go ahead and answer it. She smiled slightly when his mouth pressed against her bare shoulder. "I will make it up to you, I promise."

T.K stared at the ceiling while Leland looked around for where his cell phone had ended up. She pointed towards the hallway and he smirked, reaching the phone on the ninth ring and barking "Stottlemeyer" with as much annoyance as she felt. "This had better be good, Randy," her husband growled. "The freaking mayor better be dead."

T.K. sat up on her elbows and looked at Leland in confusion when she heard him say, "Sharona?"

_ "What the heck did you guys do to Randy today?_" Monk's first assistant wanted to know.

"Sharona, what in the world are you talking about? Why are you on Randy's work phone?"

"_He's using his personal phone to remember the lyrics to this song of his. He came home acting all romantic and everything, and he's been singing this song to me that he said he wrote just for me. Leland! The thing has to have thirty verses to it and it's..."_ She lowered her voice to almost a whisper _"It's __ as bad as all of his other songs! I mean, I appreciate the sentiment and all, but PLEASE! Just come over to my house and shoot me now! Better yet, shoot him!_"

Leland rolled his eyes and then looked back over at T.K. who was sitting up and rebuttoning her blouse. He walked over to his wife and took hold of her hands and shook his head no, stopping her from what she was doing.

He then turned back to the phone.

"Hey listen, Sharona. Not my circus, not my elephants. Take it in the spirit that it's given and listen to all thirty verses. You and Randy have a great night and I'll talk to you both tomorrow." he said, before ending the call as Sharona screeched in protest.

He smiled and looked tenderly at his wife, turned down the volume on his phone then tossed it into a drawer. And with that, he came back to their bed and took his her in his arms and kissed her. "Now, where were we? Ah...I do believe that we were somewhere about here, weren't we?"


	23. The Visit From The Past

The next two weeks were some of the best times of Adrian Monk's life.

He was growing stronger physically and was able to downgrade from a hard cast on his right arm, one that had been bothering him and itching him something fierce, to a soft cast that was much more comfortable. And he was thriving emotionally. For the first time in his entire life, he felt like he was part of a family that wanted him, that he was a valued member of the Teeger household.

Even Julie had gotten used to having him in their home and liked having him around as he slid further into the father role that he'd always filled some degree, helping her with her coursework, giving advice, and being the kind of listening ear that a Dad would be. Natalie often had deferred important parenting decisions to Adrian - such as the talk about the birds and the bees when a fourteen year old Julie was dating an older boy, and making the ultimate choice as to whether or not Julie at sixteen could take her driver's test in the midst of a drama involving a potential serial killer murdering other Julie Teegers. His role as a sort of surrogate father was also generally accepted as fact by Leland and Randy as well as Natalie, and Julie saw now and appreciated what Adrian Monk had done for her mother all those years ago when he offered Natalie Teeger a job. Not only did he provide her mother with the security that the other jobs hadn't, but he'd stepped up and been the father-figure she had needed ever since she was five years old.

He had his quirks and oddities, to be sure, and he probably always would, but, Adrian Monk was cool in her book. She loved him and appreciated him like a father, and she would stand against anyone that wanted to say a bad word about him.

Little did she know that this tenet would be tested on their weekly Tuesday trip to the grocery store.

Arriving at the shopping plaza early afternoon, Natalie wanted to make the trip quick because the weather was set to turn cold so she left Adrian and Julie (with the list and the coupons organized by store location and paper-clipped with the shopping list on top, just as T.K. had taught her) at the store and went by herself down the block to pick up Adrian's dry-cleaning.

Julie divvied up the shopping list as evenly as she could and proposed that they split up so that they could get done more quickly. That suggestion gave Adrian an idea. He waited until Natalie was out of the grocery store and out of sight, the pushed the handle of the motorized shopping cart forward. Julie narrowed her eyes at him and told him to be careful. His only response was push the handle forward again, faster. Then he turned to her and, with the most boyish and mischievous smile she had ever seen on Adrian Monk's face, winked at her and pushed the cart forward yet again.

"Race ya."

Julie's mouth dropped open in surprise, but he was already rushing towards the far end of the closest aisle and she could still hear him laughing as he called for her to her to hurry up, she was falling behind. He would beat her at this rate. Julie laughed and grabbed the handles of her own cart, pushing it in the direction of the opposite end of the store. "Oh, this is SO on, Adrian Monk!"

She concentrated on the right side of the store and he stayed to the left as they went up and down the aisles grabbing the items on the list, and even some that weren't on the list, and threw them haphazardly into their respective carts. So determined was Monk to win this race that he didn't care that the groceries were out of order and not organized by food group in his cart.

They both reached the end of their lists around the same time. Adrian looked towards the checkout counter and then looked around the store for Julie, quickly doing mathematical calculations in his head and determining that he could win. And so he pushed the handle forward as far and as hard as it would go, careening towards the end of the aisle to the checkout lines. However, his progress stopped and he had to frantically pull back on the cart's handle to come to a screeching stop when Julie and her cart stepped in front of him. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone.

Natalie Teeger stood beside Julie, arms crossed and tapping her foot, looking like she didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or put the both of them in an extended time-out. She looked back and forth between the two members of her little family, not knowing who to chastise first. Ultimately she decided on Julie.

"Who won?" she asked sarcastically.

"She started it," Adrian grinned, ducking his head and scooting his motorized cart away from the youngest Teeger when Julie glared at him.

"I did not! Adrian Monk, don't you sit there and lie to mom!" Julie cried out in protest. She turned to her mother to plead her case. "Mom, he challenged me to the race! He started it!"

"You divided up the list and wanted to get this done before your mother got back, Julie. You practically encouraged us to race!"

Julie gaped at him. "I did not! Mom!"

"Not that it matters because, you know, of course, I won." He replied.

"You did not!"

"Did too!"

Adrian waved his hand for Natalie to come closer. When she was close enough to him so he could say something quietly, he stage-whispered loud enough for Julie to hear. "Natalie, I won. I've never won anything like this before."

"It was a tie!" Julie protested. "And our lists weren't totally even, I have one more item in my cart than you!"

"You got the wrong brand of milk for you and your mom," Adrian said with a quick glance into Julie's cart. "Your mom bought the milk container with the yellow label last week. This one is blue."

"It's the same - "

Natalie bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing out loud at their antics. He looked so happy and as did Julie, despite trying to look mad, that Natalie really had no desire to stomp on their fun. But, there was a time and a place for motorized-cart racing and she never dreamed she'd have to tell Adrian Monk of all people that the grocery store wasn't one of those places. His cart was also a mess, something else she never would have expected from him.

She put her hands on her hips and tried her very best to appear stern.

"Let me get this straight, if you'll humor me. I leave the two of you, who the last time I checked were both adults, in this grocery store with a very specified list, which you apparently didn't follow, and one task- to get this week's groceries. And the minute I leave you alone, the older and supposedly more mature of you...that would be YOU, Adrian...suggests that you race through the store?"

Adrian looked at the floor. He knew he wasn't supposed to laugh.

Julie giggled. "He started it, mom. He did."

Adrian looked up when Julie laughed. "You agreed to race. You are as much as fault as me."

Natalie stuck out her hand to her boss. "Hi. I'm Natalie Teeger. I wanted to introduce myself because we've clearly never met before. What's your name?"

* * *

The moment of levity and happiness between the three inhabitants of the Teeger household was broken up by the sudden appearance of a man coming from across the aisle to meet them.

"Steven Albright?!" Julie's eyes narrowed and she stepped back closer to Adrian as the man in the white military uniform came up behind Natalie, spun Natalie around to take her in his arms and brought her in for a long, passionate kiss. Julie's hand went to Adrian's shoulder and the two looked on in shock (and, in Julie's case, disgust), as Steven held Natalie tightly in his embrace and continued to kiss her. He picked her up a few inches off the floor and spun her around and Natalie had no choice but to wrap her arms around Steven's neck so he didn't drop her.

"Did you miss me, babe?"

Natalie took a few steps backwards as soon as he set her on the ground, hardly daring to look at Adrian and Julie. "Steven...hi," she blurted out awkwardly. "This is, um, a surprise."

"I knew this was Tuesday and figured you would be here picking up Mr. Monk's groceries because you do this every Tuesday - oh, hello Julie...Monk- so I came here because I needed to see you and tell you the good news. You know how the reason we broke up was because you didn't want a long-distance relationship and couldn't handle all my deployments and coming in and out of port? Remember?"

"That wasn't the only reason," she muttered. Steven didn't hear her but Julie did.

"I'm leaving the Navy next month! I told them that I'm retiring. You and I can be together now, Natalie, just like we wanted, with nothing keeping us apart. We can get married. I'll open up a practice in town and you, me and Julie can be a family. Julie and well...whoever else might come along." Steven kissed Natalie again and touched her stomach. "How do you think Julie would like a little brother or sister?"

Julie made a horrified face when Steven turned away from her. She did not want her mom to give her siblings from Steven Albright.

While the spectacle continued, Adrian immediately threw his cart into reverse and drove it to the checkout aisle. He quickly paid for his groceries, without even noticing that he had given the cashier too much money, and left the store. Neither of the Teeger women realized he left, and Julie only noticed after he was already gone.

Seeing him nowhere in the store, the teenager walked outside to look for her mom's car to see if he was there. He wasn't. There was no sign of him anywhere. She flagged down the nearest worker she could find and asked if he had seen a man in one of the store's motorized carts leaving there within the last couple of minutes. The stock-boy nodded and pointed towards the edge of the parking lot that pulled out into the street. "There was a taxi that just left," the stock-boy told her. The man in the motorized cart had asked the taxi driver to help unload his groceries and help him into the taxi and then they drove away. He also told Julie that it looked by the taxi driver's reaction that the man had given him a lot of money.

Julie looked desperately across the parking lot as though the taxi would magically come back and then looked back in the direction of the store where her mother was in an apparently heated exchange with Albright. Frustrated, and unsure of what to do, she pulled out her cell phone from her purse. Commander Stottlemeyer was Adrian's best friend. She would call him for help.

* * *

"Stottlemeyer. What do you have for me?"" Leland said as he answered the phone. He was half-paying attention as he opened the cabinet to put away some case files that had recently been reorganized. It wasn't the first time that day that he'd wished his best detective was here with him. Monk could have done all of this for him and in half the time. And he would have enjoyed it. Leland hated bureaucratic crap like organizing files.

"Commander Stottlemeyer?" came the worried voice from the other end of the line. He recognized the voice immediately and couldn't help it when his mind flashed back to the last time he had gotten a phone call at work from Julie and heard that same desperate tone in her voice. He dropped the files into the drawer and gripped the phone tighter, slamming the cabinet shut with his foot - his hand already reaching for his gun and wallet.

"Julie?" he asked.

She spoke meekly. "Are you busy?"

"Julie, what's wrong? Where are your mom and Monk? Tell me that they're okay," he said, realizing too late that he might have sounded harsher than he needed to when he heard the distinct sounds of Julie sniffling.

"We're - my mom, Adrian and me - we were at the grocery store and were picking out groceries...actually, he had challenged me to a race, and then mom came back and saw us racing and started to chew us out..."

Leland exhaled in relief and dropped his gun and his wallet on his desk and turned around in his chair. He opened the cabinet again. "Julie, kiddo, I would love to hear this, really I would, but I'm kind of busy right now since your mom and Monk aren't here. Do you think you could just - skip all of that stuff for right now and tell me why you're calling me at work? What's wrong?"

"That's what I was doing." she said sharply.

Leland Stottlemeyer smirked and rolled his eyes. The indignant tone in Julie's voice right then reminded him entirely too much of his own son Jared.

She continued. "So like I was saying, mom was there chewing us out and Adrian kept saying that he won the race even though he had less groceries than me because I bought the wrong color-brand of milk, and then mom's boyfriend Steven showed up out of nowhere and takes a hold of mom and kisses her and picks her up and he said he wants to marry her and give me siblings and -"

Leland raised his hand towards his forehead as he tried to digest Julie's comment. His eyes went to the picture of T.K. on his desk as a horrible feeling arose in the pit of his stomach that he and T.K. had made a horrible, horrible mistake by encouraging Monk and Natalie to be together. Monk wouldn't survive a second heartbreak and it would be entirely Leland's fault - Monk's supposed best and oldest friend.

"Did you say, your mom's **_boyfriend_**? Albright is her boyfriend and wants to marry her?"

Before Julie could answer, he heard a far away conversation between mother and daughter in the background.

_"Julie, get your stuff. We need to leave. Just, go get Adrian and meet me out by the car."_

_"Mom, he's gone. He left. I'm on the phone with Commander Stottlemeyer."_

_"What? Where did he go? Julie! Tell me. Where's Adrian?!"_

_"I don't know, mom, that worker guy over there said he took a cab and they left a few minutes ago."_

_"But, but he's not even able to walk, how did he get in a taxi? He doesn't have his wheelchair or anything! And he hates taxis!"_

_"The guy said the cab driver helped him."_

_"But why?" _Leland could faintly hear Natalie sobbing._ "Why did he leave?"_

_"Why do you **think** he left, mom?!"_

Leland called for Julie firmly until soon enough she came back to the phone.

"Oh, Commander Stottlemeyer, I'm sorry. I was talking to mom. She wanted to know where Adrian was 'cause she wants to leave."

Leland shook his head. He had heard enough and was already standing up and walking across his office towards his coat rack to reach for his jacket. "Let me speak to your mother, please."

Julie noted the seriousness in his voice and soon, Natalie was on the line, quietly crying into his ear. "Leland?"

"So I hear that Monk took off. I'm closing up shop and I'll be out of the office in a minute to go out and find him and bring him back home. But first, you and I need to have a little chat, Ms. Teeger. Did you know that Albright was coming back into town?"

Natalie sniffled. Leland didn't call her Ms. Teeger unless they were in a professional setting or he was angry with her personally. "No! I was as surprised as everyone!"

"Maybe not everyone," Leland muttered.

He locked up his office and told his secretary to take his messages for the rest of the day.

"And is he still your boyfriend? Julie says he wants to marry you. Is - is that something you plan on doing?"

If Natalie wasn't so worried about Adrian she would have recognized how completely out of character it was for Leland Stottlemeyer to be so intrusive and concerned about her personal life. "No, Leland, absolutely not! I told him we were finished six months ago and I meant it! I don't want to marry him or have his babies or anything! I had no idea he assumed I would take him back if he quit the Navy."

Leland sighed, feeling very relieved. "Alright. I'll find him, Natalie, and bring him back to you. But you, my dear, need to deal with Mr. Albright and deal with him fast. Monk has been through too much in his life and while I do like you very much, I do not want to see Monk hurt again. I will do what I can to keep that from happening. You need to make this right with Albright and with Monk. Understand?"

Natalie was quiet. "Understood, sir." She whispered. Leland heard her clear her throat like she didn't want to cry any more in front of him. "Leland, all of this has been such a huge misunderstanding. Steven means nothing to me, you have to believe that. I - I wouldn't hurt Adrian for the world. He means - he means a great deal to me."

* * *

Leland had one goal in mind and that was to find his friend before nightfall. The weather report forecasted a significant drop in temperature and perhaps even wind and rain. Monk wasn't mobile at all without his wheelchair, and so he went to the first place he could think of when he began his search - to the place Monk often went where he was stressed or confused. He drove straight to the cemetery, expecting to find Monk at his late wife's grave.

When he arrived, he was surprised to note that not only was Monk not there, but there was no sign of anyone having being there for quite some time. Of course, with Adrian being wheelchair bound, this shouldn't have been entirely a surprise. He wasn't used to seeing Trudy Monk's grave in that condition. Leland bent down and pulled up some weeds by hand and then dusted off the top of the stone, leaving his hand there for a moment in remembrance of his friend, but in his heart he was secretly happy that Trudy's lonely plot was not the first place Adrian had gone.

Leaving the cemetery, he turned left and drove down the road to the next place he could think of, a scenic spot with a Bay view where he and Monk had chatted just a couple weeks prior. It was where Monk had finally, painstakingly, admitted to himself and to Leland that he was in love with Natalie Teeger. Leland drove slowly by the bench where they had sat and slammed his open hand against his steering wheel in frustration when he, for the second time, didn't see his friend.

"Dammit, buddy, where are you?" Leland muttered under his breath.

He reached for his phone to call Natalie. Maybe Monk had given up and gone home. Natalie was his safe place, Leland knew that. But his hopes crumbled when Natalie immediately asked him if he had found Adrian yet. It was getting late and she was watching the weather and getting more worried.

Leland made a turn and headed north into town. "No, Natalie, not yet." He replied. "But there are still places to look. San Francisco's a big city."

"I'm going to leave Julie here and go out looking myself."

Leland nodded his head, even though Natalie couldn't see him. "That's not a bad idea. Call Randy and he can help you. Go ahead and check with Ambrose, too, maybe Monk went there. It's a long-shot, but..." His voice trailed off when he realized what road he was on and looked to the left at what should have been the first place he thought of. "Never mind. I found him, Natalie. He's at Dr. Bell's office, just sitting out there by himself."

Natalie's voice was shaky when she responded. "Dr. Bell's office, outside, in this weather? He's upset. He's mad at me."

Leland didn't counter Natalie's assumption because in all honesty he was sure he knew why Monk was so upset and did not want to speak for his friend. So all he said was, "Don't worry, Natalie. I'll have my talk with him and bring him home, then you can have your talk with him. And about Albright, do we have a deal, Ms. Teeger?"

"Yes, Leland," came Natalie's immediate response. "I'll...I'll talk to Adrian and then I'll deal with Steven. I promise, I'll make this right. Thank you."

* * *

Leland immediately pulled into the closest parking spot to where Adrian was and texted a quick message to T.K. that he would be home late and he would explain later. He tossed his phone in the center console and locked his car, walking over to Dr. Neven Bell's meditation garden where Adrian Monk sat on a concrete bench, tracing the contours of the watch box he held in his hands, his eyes locked on the ground beneath his feet. He didn't seem to notice when Leland sat down next to him.

"Fancy meeting you here." Stottlemeyer said.

Monk jumped slightly upon hearing Leland's voice, but did not immediately respond. After a few moments of respectful silence, Leland tried again.

"Looks like the office is closed, buddy," he said gently.

"Yes. Neven is out of town for a convention. I forgot."

Leland tried to make light of this newest comment. "Well, now that's a new one. You never forget anything. That's probably the main reason you solve all my cases."

"I know. I wish I could...Forget."

Privately Leland felt like he was back at home dealing with Max after his first broken heart. His youngest son was only fifteen and thought it had been the end of the world. But Leland kept that comparison to himself and patted Monk's back sympathetically. It was an indication of how upset his friend was that he didn't flinch away at Leland touching him. "Do you want to talk about it? Dr. Bell's not here and you've been talking to me a lot lately. Seems like I'm becoming your next best thing, except I don't get paid."

Adrian turned to his friend with a doleful expression. "It was nice to feel the warmth of the sun while it lasted."

Leland patted his back again and swallowed back the comment on his tongue about how pathetic all of this sounded. "I know it was, buddy. I know." He stayed quiet for a moment before asking the next question. "But what makes you think that it's all over?"

Monk looked up and stared at Leland with a look as though the answer to that question should be obvious. "You're here, so someone must have told you. Steven Albright is back to claim my Natalie. They're getting back together and they're probably getting married. She's going to leave me." Monk looked at Leland with panic in his eyes. "Leland, I can't - I can't do any of this without her."

"Did Natalie tell you she's leaving you?" Leland asked quietly.

Adrian paused, but then continued. "No. But...but sh...she didn't have to," he stammered. "Leland! You should have seen them. Right there in the middle of the grocery store and right in front of young Julie, kissing and pawing at one another..."

"She was pawing at him?"

"Well…not exactly, but he had his hand on her waist and picked her up and kissed her right on the mouth and picked her feet off the ground and told her that he was quitting the Navy and told her that they could be together and told her...he told her...that he was going to open up a practice and...and...that...they...could be a family and give Julie siblings...Leland, it was awful!" Monk brooded.

Leland took a deep sigh and tried to think back to his own frame of mind when Karen left him. It was that remembrance which allowed Leland to steady his voice and speak softly and soothingly to his friend. "Monk, buddy - all you have told me about so far is Steven. What he said and what he wants to do with Natalie. What about what Natalie wants?"

Monk looked over in confusion. "Natalie?"

Leland bit the inside of his cheek and wished very much that he had remembered to bring his stress relief yo-yo before he went to look for Monk. "Yes, Monk. Natalie. The woman you're madly in love with, remember her?" Leland laughed. "You haven't said anything about what she did, about how she responded to Albright, about what she said. Did you stick around long enough to find out?"

Monk visibly pouted. "No. I...I left."

"Well, don't you think maybe you should have stayed and found out where her head was in all of this before you rolled off in a huff to go have your pity party with Dr. Bell?" he responded.

"This isn't a pity party, Leland! This is my life! This is my heart! This is...For the first time in over a decade I've allowed myself to feel things that I never thought I would ever feel again. I have dreams now, Leland, and all of the dreams for my life include Natalie! And just when I finally, finally think that things are going well for me - BAM!" Monk slapped his hand against the bench and looked down towards the ground. "Life knocks the wind out of my sails, again, and I come crashing into the rocks- again." He paused for a moment then bowed his head, placing his hand against his forehead. "Trudy was it for me, wasn't she? She's gone and I'm destined to be alone."

"Monk!" Leland snapped. "I'm your best friend so I'm allowed to say this to you. Look at me!" Monk turned weary eyes to face Leland as the commander continued. "Sometimes you really piss me off. Here you are, damn fortunate to be alive, you have this beautiful woman that you love and she obviously cares enough for you that for the last seven years she's been willing to sacrifice everything she has for your happiness, and the first time you find one little speed-bump in the road - "

"Steven Albright is not a speed-bump! They were going to move in together. And maybe you didn't hear me when I said he came back today to claim her and that he intends to marry her."

"And what do you intend to do about that, Monk?!" Leland asked in frustration. "Before today, Steven Albright had been out of Natalie's life for at least six months and I don't know about you, but I never saw her mourning that break-up, did you?" Leland put his elbows on his knees and looked at Monk. "But rather than stay calm and perhaps give this woman - that, as a reminder, _you say you __love_! - the benefit of the doubt, you throw up your hands and stomp your feet like a child and leave the grocery store to go who-knows-where unannounced, not thinking even once that Natalie might be home worried sick about you or even worse, that you might have the whole thing wrong and if you had just waited for five more minutes you may have seen a different outcome than the one you are imagining."

Monk was quiet, then looked at Leland and shook his head. "I didn't stomp my feet. That would have been uncomfortable."

Leland threw up his hands and let out a frustrated yell. "Alright, Monk! You want it this way? You want to live your live this way? FINE. You want to just ignore everything you have with Natalie, all of those dreams, all of that hope that you're telling me that you want so much? You want to go on living or shall I say, **not living**, in your miserable little world and never allowing anyone to get too close because you're scared? Go right on ahead and do it, Monk. I can't stop you. But I can tell you this, if you do that, if you allow Steven Albright to win and retreat back into yourself and close yourself off, then my best friend is gone. The Adrian Monk I know and respect is dead. Dead just as much as Trudy is."

Monk looked at Leland for a long, long time, and Leland wondered if Monk was going to punch him. "Say that last part again," he warned. "Say it again."

"He's dead. Because, you know what? The Adrian Monk I know and love never let any challenge keep him down. He kept going through everything, he rebuilt his life after a tragedy I can't even begin to imagine and I pray to God I never do, and he found a way to be happy again. He never allowed life to beat him. He never gave up. And he sure as hell wouldn't give up on a woman whom he supposedly loved and hand her over to some guy who just shows up unannounced to stake his claim to her. The Adrian Monk I know wouldn't do that."

Monk took a shuddering breath. Leland patted him on the back for the third time, no longer worried that he would be punched. "He's everything that Natalie needs," he whispered. "He can give Natalie and Julie the life and stability that I can't. And they won't be in danger all the time like they are with me. How am I supposed to compete with that, Leland? What do I have that Steven Albright doesn't?"

Leland grinned. "That's easy, buddy. Monk, you've got the most important thing. You've got Natalie's heart. If you're willing to fight for it."


	24. The Return Home

A cold drizzle began to fall as the two friends prepared to leave Dr. Bell's office, some forty-five minutes after Leland's arrival. The already-brisk temperature had dropped drastically, and the wind picked up, causing Monk to finally admit that he was cold and just wanted to go home. It took everything in Leland Stottlemeyer's power to not snap back that _of course_ he was cold, he'd been sitting outside for at least two hours in a thin cotton shirt and no coat. Monk had been stupid, and even if he didn't hurt himself, the last thing Leland or Natalie wanted was for him to be sick on top of everything else.

Leland searched the grounds for a branch that was large enough for Monk to use as a temporary walking cane, then handed it to Adrian. Between Monk using the branch on his uninjured side and the commander supporting most of Monk's weight on the other side, they were able to make it to Stottlemeyer's car. Leland immediately turned on the heat for his friend and used the time to lecture him on how stupid he had been and how he could have seriously injured himself with his little stunt.

After twenty minutes, Monk pleaded with him to stop. He knew he'd been in the wrong by taking off and potentially putting himself in danger and he didn't appreciate being talked to like he was a child.

"No wonder Jared and Max are such well-behaved young men." He grumbled. "They don't want to be yelled at by their father!"

Leland barked out a single laugh as he turned the heat up slightly. "If you think this is a yelling, buddy, just wait until Natalie gets ahold of you."

* * *

Leland drove the rest of the way to the Teeger residence with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his cell phone. His first call was to Natalie, to let her know Monk was safe and they were on their way. His second call was to T.K., to tell her he'd try to be home within the hour and if she wanted to order something for dinner, he'd pick it up. She knew what he liked and if they didn't have the usual, surprise him.

Natalie was waiting on the front porch with Adrian's wheelchair when Leland turned into the driveway. He parked the car and left the ignition running for Monk's sake, walking up the steps to Natalie's porch and nodding and winking at Natalie as he took the chair from her outstretched hands. He rolled the wheelchair down the ramp and locked the wheels into place close to the door on Monk's side of the car. Adrian immediately balked at being helped when Leland reached for him, but Stottlemeyer looked at him sternly and said they'd had enough of Monk's heroics for one evening. It was either let Leland help him into the chair or he would personally carry him into the house _fireman-style_ \- Monk's choice. Adrian glared at Leland and mumbled something under his breath. Leland merely waited. Finally, he acquiesced to Leland's help and from there Leland helped him to stand for only a few seconds before transitioning to the wheelchair, supporting most of Monk's weight for the short time he was upright.

Leland crouched beside the wheelchair. "Be patient with yourself, buddy. It won't be long before you'll be doing this yourself and you won't need the chair anymore. Keep working hard in therapy and you'll get there."

Monk nodded a lackluster acknowledgement toward his friend for his encouraging words. The long weeks of seemingly little tangible process were beginning to take their toll on him, and he wanted nothing more than to regain some independence, particularly since Steven Albright was back on the scene ready to take Natalie away.

Leland looked up to the porch and saw the look of angry vexation on Natalie's face. He hesitated before wheeling Monk over to the ramp and decided to take initiative to give him a little word of advice, based upon his years of experience and lessons learned concerning women. Natalie had been angry at Monk before, had yelled at him several times, threatened to quit multiple times and actually did quit once (though Monk's own behavior in the lottery case hadn't helped his cause). But this time was different and there was absolutely no use in pretending otherwise. Monk, Natalie and Leland all knew why it was different, even though Monk and Natalie hadn't been ready to admit it to each other, yet.

"Take it from me, buddy, I've been there with T.K. Don't fight it and don't talk back," Leland advised, his voice low. "Natalie is very, very angry at you for doing what you did and she's going to have a lot to say. Don't interrupt her and let her get it out, and if you feel yourself getting frustrated, don't let on. You own this, and you're just going to have to take it."

Monk furrowed his brow. Leland and T.K. were married, the context was not the same. Also, he didn't want to hear about what their married-people arguments were like. "T.K is your wife," he tried to correct him. "Natalie's not my..."

"Monk!" Leland cut him off, exasperation evident in his tone. "No, Natalie's not your wife, but she cares very much about you and you scared her. You ran away from her when her ex-boyfriend showed up, buddy. You might as well have written her a note saying how you felt about her."

The commander would have said more, particularly as Monk looked like he wanted to say something in defense of what he'd done, but Natalie was watching them from the front porch and he could see her nervous energy from all the way across the driveway.

"Remember what I said, Monk," Leland reminded him as he wheeled Monk to the front porch and to the ramp that had he and Randy had hired a construction crew to build to help Monk during the time he would live with the Teegers. Randy had been willing to accept Natalie's money, but Leland had ordered him to give it back and had steadfastly refused to accept payment from Natalie for the construction. It was the least he could do to contribute to Monk's recovery when she was the one housing him for the duration. "What she really needs to hear from you is that you're sorry. That you won't do it again."

They were mere inches away from Natalie's front door when Monk made a motion with his hands for Leland to bend down so Natalie wouldn't overhear what he wanted to say. "Leland, please don't leave. Natalie might shoot me if she's as upset as you say."

Leland straightened up and rolled his eyes. "She doesn't have a gun, Monk, unless you bought her one without telling us. And if you make comments like that in front of Natalie and make light of what you've done, **I'm** going to shoot you."

"Some friend you are," Monk muttered under his breath, loud enough for Leland to hear him, as Leland pushed him up the ramp and onto the porch.

* * *

Natalie's presence at Monk's side was enough to halt further conversation and Stottlemeyer decided it best to take steps backwards to the opposite site of the porch and stay at a respectful distance so he could watch whatever was to unfold. Natalie, he noticed, wasn't wearing a coat either and she was barefoot as she hugged Monk tight. Leland couldn't remember Monk ever allowing anyone that wasn't Trudy Monk to hug him that tightly. What Leland noticed more, though, was how Monk's hands moved up and down Natalie's arms, as if he had realized that she too wasn't wearing a coat on this cold and rainy night and he wanted to keep her warm. Leland smiled.

Natalie bent her head close to Monk's to whisper something Leland couldn't hear and wasn't entirely sure he even wanted to hear, and Monk turned his face towards her ear and whispered something back. There was another hug and the distinct sound of whimpers and soft crying from Natalie. But soon, she stood up and the next sound Leland heard was a resounding, hard smack when Natalie hit Monk on the chest with her open palm. "Don't ever, _ever_ scare me like that again by doing something so reckless and stupid, you inconsiderate jerk!"

Leland stayed exactly where he was, as far away as possible from the action and in the no-hitting zone.

Natalie turned to the house and motioned impatiently for Monk to wheel himself inside so he could get out of the rainy cold, then glared at Leland when he tried to stay where he was. He had no choice but to follow Monk into the house. Stepping through the door he stood beside Monk's wheelchair. "Good luck, buddy," he whispered, stopping himself from saying anything else when Natalie turned around to look at both of them, fuming.

She crossed her arms over her chest and watched Adrian through narrowed eyes as he and Leland came into the living room. When Monk's wheelchair was safe and secure Natalie proceeded to get on her knees in front of his chair so she was at his eye-level. No matter how angry she was she knew he deserved that respect from her. She spoke to him quietly, her voice low and firm and even-keeled. And for the next ten minutes both men were silent as she berated Adrian for his choice to do something so foolhardy as to leave her and Julie and not tell anyone where he was going, especially when he didn't have his cane, wheelchair, a way to get around or any way to contact any of them. He had taken too many risks that afternoon for her feel okay. He wouldn't even have been able to protect himself from someone bad trying to hurt him.

Monk opened his mouth to defend himself, wanting to tell her that it wasn't very nice of her to hit him and that he really hadn't considered her at all in his decision to leave. He just needed to get out of there because he couldn't take it watching her with Steven. But Natalie held up her hand firmly to stop him.

"I am not finished talking," she told him, coldly. Monk wisely said nothing. Natalie took his hand in between both of hers and the tone of her voice softened. "We are a family, Adrian: you, Julie, and me. Families stick things out and we stick together. And one member of the family does not get executive authority to run away from other family members when he decides he's upset about something and wants to be alone, especially without telling people where he is going. Especially when you don't have a cell phone for me to get a hold of you. Do you understand, Adrian? Are you listening to me?"

He nodded his head but said nothing.

But Natalie wasn't finished. Leland suspected she was just getting started. She must have taken lessons from T.K. "Under no circumstance are you to EVER do something that stupid and foolish again! I spent the last five hours worried sick about you, that you were cold or hurt and alone somewhere. Is that what you want, Adrian? For me to spend the rest of my life worrying about you? Because if it is we're going to have to have a conversation."

Monk thought that's what they were doing, having a conversation, but even he wasn't that socially inept to say it to her face. He stayed silent the entire time Natalie was speaking – loudly, he noted - and by the time she was finished he decided it was safer to look at a spot on the wall behind her than directly at her. Natalie tapped her feet on the floor when he still hadn't spoken, and Leland wasn't about to put himself in the line of fire to help him.

She narrowed her eyes at Adrian. "I'm done. You can have your turn. Explain." Adrian said nothing, like Leland had told him to do. After a full minute passed, and still he was silent, Natalie threw up her hands and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Don't you have _anything_ to say for yourself? You're the best detective I know, you always have an explanation for everything!" She blinked back sudden tears when he didn't say anything. Her voice wavered. "Not even an I'm sorry for making me and Julie worry about you?"

Adrian's eyes immediately shot up to Natalie's face when he heard the subtle quiver in her voice. "Natalie, I - I am very sorry for frightening you and causing you and Julie to worry about me, but, um, Leland said I should not talk back and that I should let you say everything you need to say so that we wouldn't fight."

Leland looked at the ceiling, cursing Monk internally, and kicked the side of Monk's wheelchair. "Monk," he hissed under his breath. That was nowhere in the ballpark of appropriate responses.

Natalie's already-furious gaze now turned to the commander. "Leland said, what? Adrian, what else did Leland say?"

Monk looked unsure of what to say next - he knew he had said the wrong thing but wasn't entirely sure why (which, unfortunately, wasn't unusual for him). He looked at the commander for help.

Natalie shook her head. "No, Adrian Monk, don't look at Leland for help, look at me."

Leland wisely stayed silent and out of Natalie's immediate line of vision. He definitely needed to get something nice for T.K., besides dinner, on the way home.

"Well, now I know what T.K. and I will be talking about the next time we see each other." Natalie mused. "I'm sure it'll be an interesting conversation."

Leland kicked Monk's wheelchair harder and Natalie scowled at him. He reluctantly stopped, but continued to glare at Monk. Monk, for his part, was back to looking at the floor rather than face the wrath of Natalie Teeger once more. Natalie observed this and considered her next words carefully.

"Leland?" Natalie asked in a sickly-sweet voice. "Can I ask you to stay for a while tonight and fix the toilet in the bathroom down here? Julie, um, Julie clogged it up when we got back from the grocery store. I don't know what she did, but it won't flush and it just keeps spewing water. So messy and full of germs. Adrian, I'm afraid that you're just going to have to use mine upstairs for the shower and everything else." Adrian raised his eyes in shock but kept his mouth shut as she continued. "But that's okay with you, isn't it? You don't need your wheelchair anymore and you don't even need your cane to keep you steady and safe as you transfer from place to place if you didn't need it this afternoon. You can use the stairs all by yourself and get yourself to the bathroom safely. Am I wrong?"

Leland immediately knew what Natalie was trying to do and put his hand on Monk's shoulder to hold him in place, non-verbally pleading with his friend not to take her bait.

Adrian looked at her for a long time and stubbornly clenched his jaw. With Natalie and Leland both watching him, he gripped the arms of his wheelchair tightly and slowly, never breaking his gaze from Natalie, attempted to make both of his legs hold his weight so that he could stand. Leland moved quickly and was there in front of Adrian to catch him when he fell and settled him back in the wheelchair. Monk was quiet and embarrassed, but unlike the last time he had embarrassed himself in front of her when he fell, he allowed Natalie to touch him. "You made your point," he said, sullenly. "I was wrong."

"Good," she said in all seriousness. Then, she went ahead and took the risk to, in front of Leland, comb her fingers through Adrian's hair.

"You **scared** me," she said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I know you want to get better and get stronger, and you are, every day. But, you're not there yet. You can't go off on your own and you can't not tell us where you're going. I've spent the last five hours thinking you were hurt or even dead and I can't - I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. Not again. I can't go through that again."

Adrian's hand hesitantly left his wheelchair arm to cover hers and she bit her lip, something she did often when she was hurt or worried that inexplicably made him want to do nothing more but kiss her. Her chin quivered. "Julie asked all of her friends that know you to keep an eye out for you and to call her if they saw you so she could come and get you, did you know that?"

Leland smirked. Natalie wasn't above using Monk's affection for her daughter against him as a guilt-trip and if the way Monk lowered his eyes to the floor was an indication, the guilt-trip was successful.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

But Natalie still wasn't finished. "And Leland! You know how busy he was when he was the captain. He's been even busier this year since he took that promotion. He was in the middle of a big case when Julie called him - oh, yes, Julie called the commander at the station to go find you because she was so worried about you! And, he shut down his office in the middle of the afternoon so he could drive all over San Francisco looking for you because he loves you and cares about you that much. You might want to apologize to him too."

Leland waved Monk's apology away before he tried to say anything. That didn't matter anymore. Personally, he was glad Natalie had gone back to talking to Monk in that angry voice and not him.

"Don't worry about it, buddy." He said.

Natalie looked at him and shook her head firmly. Clearly that wasn't the response she was hoping for from him. However, he was saved from another round of being chewed out when her cell phone buzzed. She looked over at the phone, then murmured softly to Adrian not to go anywhere. Miracle of miracles, he actually smiled and almost laughed at Natalie's joke. She then motioned for Leland to follow her to the door.

Leland motioned towards Natalie's phone as soon as they were at her front door. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded and slipped her phone back into her pocket after she completed a text response and sent it.

"That was Julie checking in and asking about Adrian. I told her he was home now, and she offered to pick something up for dinner."

It didn't escape Leland's attention how Natalie's entire face softened when she so much as mentioned Monk.

"Thank you for finding him and bringing him back. I need to talk to him alone now, if you don't mind. You can probably go back to work for a few hours."

Leland shook his head. "Can't. T.K.'s waiting for me. And hey, uh, speaking of T.K. ..."

"Sorry, Leland. No can do. I'm telling her _exactly_ what you said about how to handle a fight with a woman." Natalie's eyes danced with laughter. "Have fun at home, Commander."

Even from inside the house both Natalie and Adrian heard Leland's distinctive voice saying "I wish you luck, buddy!" as he made his way down the stairs and out to his car.


	25. The Moment of Truth

_Authors Note: We hope you have enjoyed this story thus far, and we really hope you like thi_s _chapter as well (It is one of Janine's personal favorites and she was not the primary author of the chapter). It only gets better from here! Thank you all so much for your faithfulness to reading and reviewing the chapters. We LOVE hearing from each of you. Special Thanks again to Alex Hoodle, Ljd21690, Dmander4483, Aloysia Piton, VL & Guests for letting us know what you think. Due to the holiday, there will be no additional chapters until Friday. We wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving and a great week! MNJ & KK06.  
_

* * *

Adrian didn't move an inch until Natalie came back to him after saying goodbye to Leland. Walking in front of him, she went to her knees, as close to him as she could get to him with the wheelchair in the way. An uncomfortable thought occurred to him that this would be quite the intimate position if Leland were to come back at that moment, and whatever would they say to explain themselves to Julie if she were to walk in and see them there? But considering what he had put her through that afternoon, he thought Leland had the right idea after all and contented himself to let her do whatever she wanted, within reason of course. He hadn't done right by her by not letting her explain what happened with Albright, Leland helped him to see that.

Natalie looked at him and swallowed. She was thinking hard about what to say next. Then, she reached out her hand and ran it through his hair. He didn't flinch or pull away. Finally, she spoke, her tone no longer angry but gentle and full of care.

"So, now that I've shown you the error of your ways and you were properly apologetic, are you going to talk to me about what made you roll away in the first place or is it your intention to shut me out again?"

Natalie counted the seconds in her head until he finally looked directly into her eyes – sixty seconds – and until he opened his mouth after considering what words he wanted to use – two minutes.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said quietly.

"You did, and _you_ know why you left me and Julie at the store causing Leland to have to go all over the city looking for you." she said simply. "I think the very least I deserve is to know _why_ – don't you?"

"Leland didn't have to look all over the city. He should have known first I was at Dr. Bell's office."

Natalie threw up her hands and groaned. "Awe, fiddlesticks, Adrian! Do you always have to do that?"

"Do what?" He asked, confused.

"Shut down or change the subject entirely when you don't want to talk about something. You were just fine when I left you and Julie in the store, and apparently had a great time encouraging her to race the aisles. But when I wanted to talk to you after Steven showed up, Julie said you had taken off and then Leland was on the phone asking me if Steven Albright was my boyfriend. Leland made it clear to me that, while he liked me very much, he would not hesitate to protect you if he thought I was hurting you." Natalie looked at Adrian. "Want to tell me what would make your best friend tell me something like that?"

"I'm not in charge of what Leland tells you, Natalie," Adrian replied.

Natalie shot up to her feet so fast he was afraid she might hurt herself. He heard her distinctly muttering about how she should have taken the commander up on his offer to take his anger-management yo-yo for the duration of having Adrian Monk living in her home.

"Natalie, I - I'm not good at this. You know that. So, I don't know why you're expecting anything different. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say."

"You're not supposed to say anything!" she cried out in exasperation.

He cocked his head in confusion and concern and maybe even a little fear. Leland had only been gone for five minutes, this wasn't going well at all, and he didn't think Natalie would take it too well if he tried to call Leland to get him to come back.

"Did you _really_ just ask me why I expected something different? I thought that we were..." Natalie turned and ducked her head in the way that Adrian recognized was her way of hiding the fact that she was trying not to cry. "I told you in the hospital not to shut me out, Adrian. We are too - close for that. So please, tell me whatever was happening in your head that got you so flustered that you needed to get away from me."

As he remained silent, she went to the kitchen to retrieve a half-eaten bag of chips and took a seat on the bottom step, watching his every movement and the way his eyes tracked her each place she went. "If you think I can't be as stubborn as you I would advise you to think again, Mr. Monk. I learned from the best, after all."

* * *

Natalie took an extraordinarily long time in finishing her bag of chips and, even so, the bag was long since empty when Adrian finally opened his mouth. His hands and fingers nervously drummed the arms of his wheelchair as he began to speak. "Steven…touched you."

There was a start, finally. She wiped her crumb-filled hands on her pants, smiling a little smile when Adrian did his utmost not to look away in disgust. Then, she purposefully kept her response and tone of voice neutral when she answered him. "Leland touches me. Randy touches me. You don't run off and pout when that happens."

"That's… Leland and Randy are different." He struggled to say the words. "They are different."

She decided to press it a little further. "Why are they different?"

He paused. It was now or never. "Leland and Randy don't stalk you in grocery stores to kiss you and say they're quitting their lifelong careers for you in order to come back into your life and take you away and marry you just like you always wanted."

"Assumes facts not in evidence," she whispered.

He looked irritated. "What?"

"I said, you're assuming facts not in evidence. Don't they teach you that in the police academy? Doesn't Leland still tell you that all the time?"

Adrian furrowed his brow. "You - don't want to get married again?"

She ducked her chin. "Not to him."

Adrian stopped to consider that Natalie might not have wanted to marry Albright after all. "Okay. Well, be that as it may, it still doesn't change the fact that he touched you. I didn't like it when he touched you."

"And, be that as it may, you still haven't explained why Steven Albright touching me is any different than Leland or Randy touching me," she responded.

"Leland and Randy are your friends," he explained. "Actually, they were my friends first, but they became your friends once you started tagging along everywhere I went, so now they're our friends."

Natalie decided to let go that he just referred to her being his assistant as her "_tagging along_ everywhere he went," not unlike a golden retriever.

"They **are **our friends. So now you've decided that you don't want either of them to ever shake my hand or touch my shoulder to cover me when we're at a crime scene?"

He looked so uncomfortable at this line of questioning that Natalie felt a little bit guilty for pushing him so hard; but, at the same time she knew if she didn't, nothing between them would ever be accomplished.

"Leland and Randy...it's fine when they touch you," he admitted.

"It's just Steven that you don't want touching me." She stated.

"Or **kissing** you." He replied.

Natalie was shocked silent at his confession and neither of them spoke for a good while. She stayed rooted right where she was on the bottom step of her staircase - until she heard wheels squeaking on her hardwood floor. When she looked up, there Adrian was, sitting ramrod straight in his wheelchair with the front wheels touching the edge of the staircase step she was sitting on.

He spoke slowly and with deliberation, his eyes not leaving her face. "It bothered me to see him kiss you."

Her mouth suddenly went dry and it took a good amount of time for her brain to catch up to her mouth and form words. Just when she thought she knew all about Adrian Monk and how his brain worked, he did something like this to surprise her. "Why?" she asked.

"Because it did."

"Because isn't an answer. Ask Julie, I told her that all the time."

Adrian finally made a noise of frustration and threw up his hands. "**Because**, Natalie, I don't want him kissing **YOU!**"

His soft voice pierced her soul and she couldn't look away. He, too, looked directly at her and held her gaze as he continued.

"You more than anyone in this entire world understand how much my work being a consultant means to me, and I'm good at it, Natalie. I'm good at what I do and it's the one thing Leland, Randy, and the other detectives respect me for. They value me and my input there. But, see, for the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to focus. Leland's noticed and he's called me on it. I can't concentrate, because I look at you and you are where my mind is, what my head and mind want to concentrate on: what you're doing, what you're thinking, whether whatever you're doing is keeping you safe. I think about how I would do - just about_ anything_ to keep you happy. Julie, too, she's important to me because _she's a part of_ _you_. And I don't know what to do with everything that's going on in my head, but what I do know is that _you_, Natalie Teeger, and Leland and Randy but mostly you, _mostly you_, are the one person in this world that gives me back the happiness I didn't think I'd have a chance to have again after...Trudy was killed."

Natalie remained silent, watching Adrian carefully when he mentioned his late wife's name. He stumbled over the name but stayed resolute in his determination to finish what he was saying.

"So I am asking you to please, **_please_** cut me some slack here while I figure all of it out. Because... for the first time in a long time I am happy to wake up each day and have something to look forward to, because I'm here with you and Julie. But, when Albright kissed you and said he was quitting the Navy for you, all I could see was him coming back to take away everything that I had."

Natalie was quiet, considering the positives and negatives of how he would take what she wanted to request of him at this moment. She decided that if he, of all people, could be brave and conquer the multiple fears that must have been fighting for dominance in his head just for having this conversation, there was no reason she couldn't do the same.

"Can you - scoot back your wheelchair, please?" she whispered, her voice catching in her throat. "Just an inch or two."

Adrian's concerned gaze never left her face and she watched as his hands went down to unlock the wheels and did as he was told.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Now, please, lock them in place again."

He did exactly what she said and as soon as he did Natalie stood and took one step forward to where she was right there in front of him, never breaking eye contact. She knelt and got as close to him as she possibly dared to, to where she was in between his legs. She reached forward her hand and gently touched his face. "Look at me, Adrian."

He looked at her through eyes that communicated the woeful sincerity in his words. "If you wanted to get back together with Steven, I wouldn't stop you."

Natalie shook her head. "Never. I didn't ask for Steven to come. I didn't ask for him to be stalking the grocery store on Tuesdays looking for me and I for sure didn't ask for him to kiss me. I - I should have pushed him away from me right away but he just - I was so surprised I couldn't think. I didn't appreciate him interrupting our private time together, just the three of us, you and me and Julie. And… if you would have stuck around five minutes longer you would have heard me telling him everything, I just told you."

Adrian sighed. "Leland told me the same thing - in not as nice of a tone that you did."

"What do you know?" she whispered. "Leland actually _did_ give you good advice." She smiled to let him know she was only teasing and didn't object to him talking to Leland about her when he was so upset about her and Steven.

"Adrian, I'm feeling the same way you are, and I'm still trying to figure some things out too, but I look at the last three months as a blessing because I have absolutely loved having you here. Being able to wake up and come downstairs every morning and see you and Julie waiting for me, it's the best way that I can think of to start my day. It makes me so happy and I don't want Steven or anyone else to interrupt that."

His hand reached out to touch her cheek, moving to her hair to curl a little strand around his finger. She watched as his left hand did this and she had never been more aware that he no longer wore his wedding ring. It was his prized possession, one of the few tangible symbols he had left of his late wife and his love for her, yet he had given it up without complaint to keep her daughter protected.

Natalie didn't dare to move.

"I will be as patient as I can be, Natalie, but I don't want Steven to come back." he said.

"He won't," she promised him, tenderly. "I made it clear to him he wasn't welcome in my life and I reminded him that if he showed up again without warning I had connections on the police department."

Adrian's mouth curved into a smile. "I knew there had to be a reason you kept me around."

She smiled.

"Silly man," she whispered. "Don't you know by now, Adrian Monk, that other than my daughter, you mean everything to me?" Natalie swallowed and took a breath for courage. "I didn't ask for Steven to kiss me in that grocery store today; but, I am thinking of someone that I'd like to kiss me."

"Me." His voice cracked with emotion and was barely audible.

Natalie watched him carefully as she reached out and traced his jawline with her finger, then slowly, purposefully slowly, traced his mouth with that same finger. A soft grin tugged at her own mouth. "You're my brilliant detective, what do you think?"

He didn't have to tell her with words what he thought, she could see it plain as day in the way he looked at her, the tender way he whispered her name, a tone of voice she was sure he had used on only one woman other than herself in his entire fifty-one years of life, the way his hands moved to touch any part of her that he could reach from a wheelchair that had never seemed more like a prison than it did in that moment.

"Natalie," he growled her name, low in the back of his throat, and she couldn't explain what that did to her, but she knew she wanted to hear that sound again someday, and someday soon. She scooted forward even closer to him to where her legs were pressed against his, and he reached down to cradle her face in his hands.

"There's - there's no going back from this," he told her quietly. "Say the word and I'll -"

"Kiss me."

Adrian's face, his mouth, was millimeters from hers, so close she felt each breath he took, and he lifted her chin with his fingers, tilting his head just so when -

There was a jiggle in the front door lock and Adrian let out what she could only describe as a desperate sigh of thirteen years of pent-up frustration, touching his forehead to hers. She dropped her head to his thigh and he ran his fingers through her hair.

They both barely had time to catch their breaths and make themselves presentable again, Natalie scooting away just enough from Adrian's wheelchair, when Julie came in view with a bag from the local Italian take-out restaurant in her hands. "I come bringing gifts! Dinner!"

Natalie's voice was raspy and strangled when she finally was able to speak. "We'll be there in a minute, sweetheart," she sighed. "We'll be there in a minute."


	26. The Confrontation

In the days that followed the encounter with Steven, there had been an unquestionable change in the Teeger household. Oh, there were the general changes that came naturally by virtue of Adrian living with them. For instance, his relationship as Julie's surrogate father continued to grow and could be seen in his proud look towards Julie when she got her test results back, and in how he told Natalie to put the A- test paper on the refrigerator. Natalie in no way wanted to dampen his pride in her daughter by telling him she'd stopped doing things like that when Julie was nine. Nor did she want to dampen the impact it was having upon his relationship with Julie. The teenager was in fact, basking in the attention and the praise even though she'd never admit it. So, she said nothing, but instead decided to enjoy watching the two people she loved most interacting and being happy together.

This change could have been expected, however, the change Natalie noticed the most was in relation to Adrian's interaction with her. For her, it was no secret as to what had prompted this change. The talk she'd had with Adrian about Steven and his unwelcome presence in their lives, and his admission of how much seeing Steven kissing her had bothered him, had opened new doors of understanding as to where her relationship with Adrian Monk stood. There was something about the hesitant look on Adrian's face when she'd first mentioned to him that they needed to talk about why he took off on her and how that look morphed into one of unabashed relief and joy when she told him she hadn't asked for Steven to kiss her and in no way wanted Steven in her life. It had taken everything inside her to admit to Adrian that the only man she wanted to kiss her was him. And it took everything within her not to scream when once again their 'almost kiss' was interrupted by the presence of another. It was only now that she realized what she should have realized months ago. She never wanted Steven. It was Adrian all along. It had always been him.

And so, from that night forward, something had shifted between them. She wouldn't dare to call it electricity but there was definitely a difference between Adrian and herself that she couldn't quite put her finger on and would never have believed would be happening if it weren't happening to her. It was in the way he looked at her when he thought no one was watching, the way his hand brushed against hers and then lingered sometimes when they were doing household chores together. But most noticeably, it was in the way he looked at her the previous night, after he'd followed her into the back bedroom on the first floor that she used for storage. He had used his wheelchair to stop her in her tracks and keep her from leaving the room. Then he came close enough to her that she could no longer move and when she'd squatted down to his eye level, it was the look in his eyes and the measured tone in his voice when he spoke to her softly, telling her that he'd be as patient as he could be but there were things he wanted to tell her at a dinner he was planning for her and there was an obstacle in the way. He had held her hand in between both of his and she would have never dreamed in her wildest dreams that he would have done this if she hadn't been there, but he took her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. He'd told her that he wanted Steven gone and it was only when she nodded, simply because she didn't know what else to say, that he moved his wheelchair backwards and released her.

Natalie didn't know if Leland had talked to Monk and gotten through to him somehow but the Adrian Monk that lived in her house and slept in her living room was more confident than the Adrian Monk she'd known for seven years. After their talk, he no longer appeared threatened by Steven's appearance; rather, he made it clear that he wanted her to deal with the issue as soon as possible so that they could go back to the way things should be in their household of three.

Dealing with the issue was precisely what Natalie had on her mind that morning when she called Steven's cell phone to arrange for him to meet at her house that afternoon. She decided to have the discussion at her house simply so that there would be witnesses if things got heated. It wasn't that she feared that Steven would get physically violent, at least not with her, but her anger at his presumption meant that she would more than likely be more direct than she was when she had broken up with him and she wasn't sure how he would take it. She didn't know where things would go from there between her and Adrian but knew they couldn't ever go anywhere until Steven knew the truth and was gone for good. What happened from there would be up to Adrian.

* * *

Steven was outside on the front porch waiting for Natalie at the exact time she'd asked him to be there. She expected nothing less from him and was anxious to proceed. She owed it to herself, Adrian, Julie and to Steven himself, to make this as quick and painless as possible while making her intentions clear and leaving no room for interpretation that their relationship was over.

* * *

Julie came downstairs from changing her clothes after a morning spent with friends and narrowed her eyes at Adrian who was in the kitchen sitting perfectly still. He had managed to wheel himself into the kitchen and take some fruit from the lower levels of the refrigerator to cut up for a fruit salad to go with dinner that evening. He even set himself up at his lower-level workstation, sitting with a paring knife in his hand to do the work; but the slices of apple and cubes of melon, while acceptable to Julie and her mother were definitely not reflective of Adrian's usual standards. Something was distracting him, and when Julie watched him turn his head and look to the window that overlooked the porch she understood exactly what.

Julie had always been polite towards Steven since he had been her mother's boyfriend, but truth be told she never really felt they were a good match. However, if Julie would have liked Steven even a little bit she might have felt sorry for him by the way that she had observed her mother and Adrian looking at each other in recent days. And she knew that if Mr. Monk had looked at her mother then the way he had looked at her recently, Steven would have never had a chance. This was fine with Julie, because she loved Adrian. She liked how he'd always been there for her mom and even for her and she liked how happy her mom had been ever since he moved in with them, the circumstances on how that came to be notwithstanding.

Now, as she entered the kitchen he had that same peculiar look on his face again and he looked longingly out to where her mother had gone. She wondered what on earth was going on in his mind. She didn't have to wonder long.

* * *

The minute Julie came into his line of vision to help him with the fruit salad, he looked at her and pointed to the window. "Window open."

She rolled her eyes. "Mom will tell you what she told him when Steven leaves."

He just glared.

Julie decided to challenge him. "I know it's literally part of your job as a cop to listen in on conversations and eavesdrop and spy on people, but you know that's not nice in the real world, don't you?"

He didn't flinch. "Juliette Elizabeth Teeger, this _is_ the real world. Now go open that window so we can listen to your mother."

Julie only laughed. "How do you even…?"

"You don't think I remember over the years the few times you got in trouble and your mom middle-named you?" He said, then he pleaded with her. "Julie. I need to hear this. Go open the window, please."

Julie stared at him for a long time and finally sighed, setting down her knife and going through the kitchen and dining room to open the window closest to the porch the tiniest little bit to where they could hear two distinct voices talking. She looked at Adrian with a look that clearly screamed _Are you happy now?_ "I'm going to get Commander Stottlemeyer to arrest you for eavesdropping," she muttered under her breath.

"That's not something you can get arrested for unless the person eavesdropping is recording the conversation and one or both parties have not given their consent for the recording." Adrian responded, eliciting another eye roll from Natalie's daughter. He would have said more but suddenly urged her to be silent as the voices outside stopped and then suddenly started again. This time they were louder. Julie looked at Adrian worriedly as both Steven and her mother sounded very upset.

"Listen Steven. I'm sorry. I know I should have been more direct with you and I take ownership of perhaps giving you the wrong message. I never meant to hurt you." Natalie said.

"Never meant to hurt me?! Natalie! We almost moved in together. I thought that we were going to start a life together. And you're telling me all of that was a lie? Sorry. I don't believe you. It's not over between you and me. Not by a long shot." Albright replied.

"Have you not been listening to a word I've said? Steven. I don't love you and I never did. Not in that way. I loved you as Mitch's friend, sure, and perhaps as a remnant of what I had with him. But in terms of what we had; it wasn't what you're thinking. Steven. It's over!"

"No, Natalie! It's not." He shouted with anger, moving a chair out of the way so that he could get closer to her. The chair scraped along the wooden porch and made a loud sound that could be heard from inside.

Adrian manipulated his wheelchair out of the space and turned as if he wanted to go to the front door but Julie put a hand on his arm and shook her head and mouthed one word: "No." In her view, Steven was a nuisance, but he was not violent, and Natalie would not be happy to know they were in the kitchen listening to this when they weren't supposed to.

"Julie." Adrian ordered her to bend down to where he could talk to her quietly and she could hear him. He spoke fast into her ear. Julie patted his arm. "He's not going to hurt her," she assured him. "Mom will be fine."

The voices from outside grew louder and angrier and Adrian winced when he realized the topic of conversation was him.

"It's him, isn't it!" Steven yelled. "It's that dysfunctional misfit you have living in your house. Why the heck is he even here? And don't tell me that he's here because he's recovering. He doesn't need you for that. What he really needs is an at-home nurse to help manage his life for him."

"Steven, this has nothing to do with Adrian. It has everything to do with us. I simply do not love you. I'm sorry if I led you on." she answered.

"Adrian? Adrian! Since when did you start calling him Adrian? It was Mr. Monk the last time I saw you."

"Listen, I know that you always had a problem with my relationship with him, but at this point I really don't think I owe you..."

"Are you _sleeping_ with him? Is that what this is about?" he said accusingly. "Because you know, if you are..."

"What my relationship with Adrian Monk is or is not is NONE of your business." she said angrily.

Inside, Adrian clinched his jaw in anger as well. He did not like how Albright was speaking to Natalie and was fighting the urge to wheel himself out to go confront him.

"None of my business...wow! This is just sweet. I go away on deployment, stand up before my commanding officers and tell them that I'm giving up my military career in order to start a life with my future wife, and come back to the news that she's _shagging_ her boss."

Adrian picked up the paring knife in his hand and bent down to unlock his wheelchair wheels.

"How dare you!" Natalie shouted.

"Oh, what's the matter Natalie? Feeling a little embarrassed at having been caught? I would be, if I were you. After all, you know what they call women who sleep with men who pay them! What's it like having sex with a mental case?"

Simultaneously, Natalie slapped Steven as hard as she could, and Monk began wheeling his way as fast as he could towards the front door with the paring knife in his lap.

Julie quickly took the knife from Adrian and had to physically step in front of his wheelchair and stop him from going outside. She had never seen him look so angry in all the years that she'd known him. She knelt down in front of his chair. "Mom won't take that from him, you know she won't. She's got this, it's okay. She's okay."

Clear as a bell they heard Natalie's voice no more than a second later, full of ice and venom. Unfortunately, both Julie and Adrian had been on the other end of that voice enough times that they knew it well and knew the conversation outside would escalate quickly if it wasn't somehow stopped.

"As I said before, my relationship with Adrian Monk is absolutely of no concern to your pathetic filthy little mind, and you are the only mental case that I recognize in this situation. That man in there is the most honorable, gentle, kind and classiest man I have ever known. And if I want him to live in my house while he is recuperating from injuries that could have killed him, getting crushed by falling concrete and falling walls and beams, letting himself bear the brunt of the trauma because he protected my daughter from anything falling on her - then that is my decision! It is my house, and Adrian Monk is welcome in my home and wherever I am, forever. You, however, are not."

The look on Adrian's face was indescribable, or what Julie could see of it before he bowed his head.

Julie returned to the table and to her knife-work to give him a minute to comprehend what her mom had just said. When Adrian finally wheeled back to the counter and looked at Julie she was smiling at him. "See?" she whispered, squeezing Adrian's good arm. "I told you mom could take care of herself."

Adrian had to bow his head once again a second later to stop himself from laughing out loud at Natalie's "And there's no way on earth I would ever marry you!" Julie grinned and Adrian looked at her and calmly reached for another apple. Julie handed him the knife.

Steven's tone of voice changed. "Natalie, babe. I can't believe you're saying all these things. I thought you loved me. I thought I meant something to you. I mean I get that you would feel obligated to take care of a guy you've worked for all these years, particularly when he almost got killed trying to buy you a gift; but, do you really think that Mitch would approve of you throwing your life away on some freak as opposed to being with someone that he loved and trusted? Do you really think that Monk is someone that Mitch would have picked for you - over me?"

Inside the house, Adrian put his hand on Julie's shoulder when the eighteen year old visibly flinched at Steven Albright even daring to bring up her father's name.

Natalie wasn't faring much better outside. She raised her hand to slap him again but at the last second she lowered her hand back down. Mitch wouldn't want her to do that. Neither would Julie or Adrian. "Mitch would want me to be with someone that respected me and that made me and Julie happy. That isn't you and I'm ashamed to think that I ever thought it was."

Steven's voice now exuded a level of coldness that would best be described as hatred. "Fine then. It would appear you have made your decision. But mark this, Natalie Davenport. You WILL regret it. This is not over. Not by a long shot."

"What are you going to do? Treat me like you did Caroline?" she said.

There was suddenly an uncomfortable silence as Steven didn't answer her. Then, Adrian flinched when he heard the sound of something being struck and began to back his wheelchair out of its place, but again, Julie held him firm in place. "It was just Steven being frustrated and slapping the bench. And now he's leaving. Listen for the car."

Sure enough the two heard the sound of squealing tires and a car driving away and seconds later heard the front door open and slam closed as Natalie appeared in the kitchen. The flashing anger in her eyes dissolving in an instant when she saw Julie and Adrian, the two most important people in her life, looking not at all ashamed at being caught listening. Natalie wanted nothing more than to go to Adrian and touch him, but this wasn't a conversation to be had with her daughter present. So, all she would allow herself to do for now was look at him. The intensity of his gaze when her eyes locked on his no longer surprised her after what happened yesterday in her back bedroom.

"So, Steven's gone," she said evenly. "I'm going to go take a shower and I'll be down for dinner. I want to hear all about your day, both of you - what you were doing when you weren't spying on me."

Julie, yet another time, had to stop Adrian from wanting to follow her mom and kept him distracted by letting him help with as much as he could with their dinner. Natalie came back downstairs thirty minutes later, her hair still damp from the shower, and Julie had to bite the inside of her cheek not to react to Adrian Monk of all people blatantly checking out her mother. They sat down for dinner and she was content to watch them interact with each other, which was just as well because she might as well have not been at the table for the attention they paid to her. Oh, they asked her questions about her day, but it was obvious that it was only Adrian's brilliant memory that threaded the conversation together and neither of them were actually listening to her answers.

That evening, Adrian was more than happy to watch television and movies with them now that Steven was gone. Julie took the loveseat and watched how Adrian shook his head when her mom wanted to help him from the wheelchair to the couch. He wanted to show her that he could do it himself.

The movie was half over when Julie made the executive decision that they needed more popcorn and as she hovered in the kitchen waiting for the popcorn to pop she looked into the living room to watch not the movie, but a drama that was becoming much more interesting each and every day as she saw it up close and personal - her mom and Adrian. She watched with a smile on her face as her mom snuggled into Adrian's side and he hesitated only briefly before putting his uninjured arm around her. Julie watched Adrian bend down to whisper something in her mom's ear and how her mom laughed, before stifling herself to be quiet for what, Julie assumed, was supposed to be for her sake. Quickly and quietly, Julie brought out her cell phone and took a picture.

* * *

Later that night, while her husband showered, T.K. Stottlemeyer heard a text notification coming in from her husband's cell phone. Given the fact that Leland normally received texts only from family or friends, she rolled over in bed and picked up the phone from the nightstand on his side of the bed. It was a text message from Julie Teeger with an attached picture.

T.K. waited for Leland to come out of the bathroom before she smiled and showed him the picture and then the text.

_Commander: Mom and Steven had a massive fight about Adrian and Steven is no longer in the picture. Everything is okay now at Casa Teeger._


	27. The Coffee Shop and The Swim Session

The next three weeks brought remarkable progress in terms of Monk's physical recovery. The cast on his arm and the hard cast on his leg were both removed, but he was still unable to walk. To do that would take significant time and effort both at home and at physical therapy. Nevertheless, just the fact that he could now do simple things he couldn't do before, such as shower without plastic bags over his arm and leg, did wonders for Monk's confidence.

What did even greater wonders for his confidence was that Natalie's confrontation of Steven had seemingly driven him away for good. With 'the impediment' out of the way, Monk soon found that he and Natalie were growing closer every day, both physically and emotionally. The frustration that he felt over Julie having interrupted their first kiss soon gave way to a feeling that Adrian Monk hadn't felt in many years. He was feeling more and more like the fully-realized man he had been before Trudy was murdered.

Life was better, every day, and so much of that happiness was because of the women in the Teeger home, but more specifically, because of Natalie. Adrian felt excited to spend the rest of his days with the woman that brought all of this out in him and found himself desperate to be healed completely so he could be the man Natalie deserved -so he could really, truly, show her how much he cared about her and how much he wanted to spend the future with her at his side. In a way, this vision of the future was similar to how it had always been between them except for one big difference, he knew now that he loved her. And he knew that he wanted to be with her forever.

Adrian enlisted the help of his physical therapist to push him in therapy as hard and as far as was safe, in order to expedite the healing process and get him back on his feet and walking again. He was anxious for this to happen because he had plans that would require him to have the ability to walk in order to take his Natalie out on a proper date. Not that spending his evenings with her snuggled on the couch watching movies wasn't wonderful, mind you, but he wished to be fully healed from the explosion before he entertained the idea of starting their dating relationship. He wanted her to be his girlfriend when that time came, not his caretaker.

* * *

The first time that Adrian took those initial first steps, he had an audience. The physical therapist had mentioned to Natalie how hard Adrian was working and that at his next session he would be attempting to walk with the use of the parallel bars. So, Natalie decided to stay that day to watch and with Adrian's permission, she invited Leland to come as well.

As Adrian wheeled his wheelchair up to the edge of the parallel bars (he had become an expert in maneuvering that wheelchair, Natalie thought to herself) they watched as he used both of his arms to pull himself to a standing position. His eyes never strayed from Natalie's face even when the instructor told him to take a few steps. Slowly and painstakingly, he moved, allowing his left leg to bear weight for the first time in three months. He stumbled at first but adjusted, though Natalie could see it written all over his face how much it hurt and how much this was taking out of him. She put her hand over her mouth and blinked back tears so Adrian wouldn't see her cry. He was doing it, and she and Leland cheered him on.

He had almost made it to the end of the bars when his weaker arm gave way and the other arm was not enough to hold his body weight. Immediately, he crumpled and crashed to the floor. Natalie was at his side in an instant, but the physical therapist none-to-kindly pushed her away, saying this was something Adrian had to do for himself. Leland narrowed his eyes when the therapist muttered that this was why they didn't allow spouses and friends to watch.

It took more than one try for Adrian to stand again, using both arms and his good leg for leverage to get up from the padded floor. Then, it took him fifteen minutes to complete the exercise, which he did, walking the bars one direction, making the turn, and going back the other direction. And when he was finished and safely back in his wheelchair, Leland would be hard-pressed to say who was prouder: himself, Natalie, or Adrian.

The physical therapist later told Adrian that all future sessions would be him alone, Natalie and Leland wouldn't be permitted to stay and watch. Adrian wasn't as irritated as he normally would have been at being denied Natalie staying with him because he wanted to surprise her one day with what he had accomplished, beginning with ridding himself of the wheelchair for good.

So, this became their routine for the foreseeable future. Three mornings a week Natalie (or Leland, on the rare occasions when she was not available) would drop him off at the rehab facility for therapy and then pick him up two and a half hours later to have lunch. For the most part, Leland was able to accommodate this schedule into his caseload, something else to add to the long list of things Adrian was appreciative of.

* * *

On one such morning, after she had dropped Monk off at therapy, Natalie walked into the coffee shop a few blocks away from the rehab facility in order to keep an appointment with a friend. She noted that the shop was remarkably busy for that early morning hour and looked around for T.K. Stottlemeyer who waved her over from a small, out-of-the-way reading nook in the corner. For various reasons, both women had been so busy the last few weeks that they hadn't been able to meet up since that day in the grocery store when Natalie cried all over T.K. in the parking lot. So, when T.K. called to invite her for coffee during one of Adrian's therapy appointments, Natalie jumped at the chance. She had long since gotten bored of doing errands and window shopping.

As she walked up to the table, T.K. commented on Natalie making good time and Natalie grinned, sitting down in the chair opposite her friend and glancing up towards the chalkboard menu above the register.

"Adrian would be happy getting to therapy at six in the morning if I let him. He's very - determined to get stronger and get his independence back." Natalie didn't tell T.K. that she suspected the true reason for his persistence was that he wanted to ask her out on a date. He hadn't actually referred to his planned 'dinner for two' using that term, but she had inferred it just the same.

T.K. handed Natalie a napkin and half of her muffin as she waited for the barista to return to take Natalie's order.

"From what Leland tells me it sounds like Adrian is doing very well. And how are _you_ doing?" The blush coloring Natalie's cheeks was enough for T.K. to know the answer. "I like that smile. I recognize that smile. Tell me more, young lady."

Natalie grinned. "Well…the last time we talked I told you about me being afraid that I might have pushed things too far with Adrian and he wouldn't be able to reciprocate how I felt about him and that he'd only ever want to be friends."

T.K. nodded. "That was a while ago, but, yes. I remember. And now?"

Natalie blushed. "Now, I can tell you for sure that I no longer feel that way."

The conversation was interrupted for the moment by a barista arriving with T.K.'s coffee and an order pad to take Natalie's order. "Yes, I'll take a Grande Cappuccino with extra foam. Thank you." The barista walked away and Natalie continued. "Where were we before I got interrupted?" She giggled to herself.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh. My life just seems to be one inopportune interruption after another these days. That, and dramatic incidents in grocery stores." At the puzzled look on T.K.'s face Natalie attempted to explain. "Did Leland tell you about that day at the grocery store when my ex-boyfriend showed up out of nowhere?"

"Leland told me he had to leave work early to drive all over San Francisco and find Adrian, and finally found him at Dr. Bell's, sometime a few weeks ago. So, he told me the basics, yes. He said that Adrian got all worked up about Lieutenant Albright kissing you and promising you all those things about a life together. He told me Adrian never gave you a chance to explain."

"It was awful, T.K." Natalie shuddered in remembrance of that day and how worried she had been. The end of the day, however, was another story entirely, and that was something she very much wanted to tell T.K. about, too.

She continued. "Everything Leland told you was right, but it was worse than what he told you. Adrian ran, well, wheeled off and didn't give me a chance to defend myself until Leland finally found him and brought him home that night. Adrian...his mind always, always goes to worst-case scenario and he'd made things so much worse in his head than they were. I wasn't - I wasn't the most patient person in the world to deal with. I'm sorry to say that Leland got caught in the line of fire a few times."

T.K. only laughed. "Sometimes he needs that. But - what _did_ happen at your house? Leland never really said."

"Would you like me to start **before** or **after **your husband apparently became Adrian's relationship-counsellor and told him to play along, not say a word and let me vent so we wouldn't fight?"

T.K. raised an eyebrow and set down her coffee on a napkin. "My Leland said that?"

"Then when he left, he told me not to tell you what he said and I told him 'no can do.'" Natalie grinned. Her eyes sparked with laughter.

"Well, that certainly explains some things," T.K. mumbled to herself. "He was so nice and accommodating when he came home. He even ordered from the place I liked that I know he can't stand." She laughed and picked up her coffee to take a sip. "And here I thought all this time he was just letting me talk so he'd better understand where I was coming from."

Natalie was watching her and was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry, that is a conversation for me and Leland later tonight. I'm more interested in you. What happened when Adrian got home?" T.K. asked.

"Well, if you don't know by now, I'm sure Leland has told you: Adrian Monk is not exactly...forthcoming when it comes to talking about his feelings about...anything other than case-work, really. So, I read him the riot-act for fifteen minutes, in front of Leland, and made it all as uncomfortable for him as I could. I told him how much he worried me, and I even brought it up how much he worried Julie."

"Nice touch," T.K. said approvingly. "He loves Julie."

Natalie smirked. "I know he does. Bringing up Julie got him to say he was sorry. Then I asked him to explain what in the world got him so flustered and upset that he felt the need to get away from me."

"And?" T.K.'s second muffin was long-forgotten, and she pushed it across the table at the other woman when she caught Natalie looking at it longingly. "For heaven's sake, what did he say?"

"Nothing at first," Natalie admitted. "This was all after Leland was gone, of course, I knew I wouldn't get him to talk when Leland was there. So, I just sat there and waited and finally he said that he was upset that Steven touched me. And we went around and round for a while why it was okay with him for Leland and Randy to touch me, you know, shield me at crime scenes, that sort of thing, but it bothered him when it was Steven. He said that Leland and Randy were our friends and Steven was different. He didn't like when Steven touched me and... he didn't like it when Steven kissed me."

T.K. grinned and leaned back against the plush cushion of the nook. "And then?"

"I wanted him to tell me why it bothered him. He tried to do the whole 'because it did' reasoning and I told him 'because' wasn't an answer, that I told Julie that all the time when she was younger."

"And then?"

Natalie blinked back happy tears. T.K. handed her a napkin and she wiped her eyes. "And then, it was like he'd hit his limit and everything he'd been holding inside for however long just kept pouring out. He had a lovely little speech about all these feelings he had for me, how happy it makes him to be with me and Julie, how he wants me to cut him some slack while he tries to figure out what's going on in his head, but - T.K., he told me that I am the one person in the whole world that makes me happy in a way he didn't think he could be after Trudy died, and how when Steven said he was quitting the Navy for me and told me all the things he wanted, all Adrian could see was everything being taken away from him."

T.K. handed Natalie a second napkin. Natalie reached for a third napkin and twisted it into pieces around her fingers, just for something to do. "T.K...oh, when he told me those things...I've been in love with him for years and I never thought that he could feel that way about me, and when he said that he did...all I wanted to do was..." Natalie blushed darker at the look on T.K's face, then bit her lip. "T.K. I…I asked him to kiss me."

T.K. smiled. "And? Do I have to keep prompting you to keep going?"

Natalie lowered her eyes to the table and blushed even more. "He kept trying to give me an out. He told me that if I wanted to go back to Steven, he wouldn't stop me, and I told him never, that I had never wanted Steven to come back or to kiss me, but I knew someone that I did want to kiss me. The look on his face at that moment, it was…indescribable. He - he said there was no going back from this and then he leaned down from his wheelchair and cupped my face in his hands and…" She paused for effect.

"And? And what? Don't leave me hanging!" T.K. asked, leaning forward.

"And… it would have been a really good kiss, if Julie hadn't shown up right then with dinner."

T.K. slammed her coffee cup down on the table in frustration. "No! Natalie, she didn't!"

Natalie shook her head and smiled. "She did."

T.K. huffed. "You need to teach that child about her timing!"

"Tell me about it," Natalie sighed. "Adrian was so frustrated and I was frustrated too. A _lot_ frustrated. But oh, T.K., that was the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

"Oh, sweetie, that's incredible. I promise Leland won't hear a word about this from me unless you tell me I can tell him," T.K. promised. Then she lowered her voice. "Leland told you that he wanted you to take care of Steven Albright. Have you - done that?"

Natalie frowned and her eyes clouded over. "I invited him to the house and told myself I was going to be honest with him. He practically accused me of having an affair with Adrian and insinuated...well, he asked me what they called women that sleep with the men that pay them."

T.K. was stunned. "Natalie, I don't like this. He sounds unstable." T.K. held up her hand when she saw the slight look of confusion on Natalie's face. "Leland doesn't know about this so what I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this table. Do you understand?" T.K. waited for Natalie to look up and nod, and then she continued. "I was twenty-three and I dated someone that mentally and physically abused me for two years until I finally woke up and got away from him."

"Oh, T.K. That's awful!" Natalie replied.

"It was." She continued. "What you just told me about Steven reminds me so much of how I was back then. I do not want you to be hurt like I was."

"Steven wouldn't hurt me," Natalie said quietly. "Not like that. But it wasn't only Adrian that made me decide we were over for good. Back before I broke up with him, something happened. Steven was one of my late husband Mitch's oldest friends and I hadn't seen him for years until he hired Adrian to investigate a murder of one of his shipmates aboard a submarine."

"Leland told me about that one," T.K. mused. "You and he got stuck on the submarine and Adrian went off in his head for a little while."

"Yeah. His mind just took a break. I'm still ashamed that I wasn't as good of a friend to him on that sub as I should have been. I was too focused on Steven," Natalie whispered. "Everything on the submarine happened not too long after Adrian and Leland faked Adrian's death so he wouldn't go to prison - I'm sure Leland's told you that story - and when I found out he was alive...I thought there might be some sort of chance for a relationship between us. When nothing happened, I guess you could say I was lonely, and Steven was there...I hadn't seen him since Mitch's memorial service. It was like old times when I saw him, not that we were super close even then,...it was the connection to Mitch I didn't know that I needed...and then Steven started flirting with me."

"Mitch's friend was flirting with you? That seems very inappropriate. Especially considering you said there was no contact between the two of you between Mitch's memorial service and when you saw him with the submarine, which makes me wonder if he had feelings for you when Mitch was alive. You said there wasn't much contact then, either."

Natalie frowned. T.K. was bringing up some things she hadn't thought of before and didn't particularly want to consider. The Steven she knew when Mitch was alive and when they dated was a good man, she thought, and the idea that he had been harboring feelings for her all of these years, biding his time, coming back to find her when he knew Mitch was dead...it gave her the willies.

"Steven was engaged when Mitch was alive," Natalie told her. "Caroline Shelton was her name. But, T.K., on the sub when I asked him what had ever happened to her, he said she sobered up and figured out she could do better. I always thought that was strange."

"Why?" T.K. asked. "Maybe they weren't right for each other. It's always better to find out something like that before the wedding."

"I knew people that knew Caroline back then, T.K., and every one of them told me she wasn't ever much of a drinker, not even socially. And the few times I remember meeting her she seemed very...meek? I don't know. Not like someone who would drink or even party very much. But I know people can change. Maybe she did?"

"Did you ever ask him about it?"

"I asked her," Natalie said seriously, leaning forward so the only person hearing any of this would be T.K. "I decided to find out the real story about Caroline Shelton before I broke up with Steven. It should have been a red flag to me even then that I didn't trust Steven to tell me the truth, but it didn't occur to me why I wasn't trusting Steven. It had been twenty years at this point, so it took me awhile to find her, but I found her in Galveston. She still went by Shelton, so that was easy. I called her and she seemed very - nervous. And she made it very clear that although she was nervous, she wanted to warn me."

T.K. stayed quiet for a few moments. She didn't like this at all, and her journalist instincts were telling her very loudly that there was much more to the story. "She wanted to warn you?"

Natalie twisted another napkin around her fingers. "She laughed when I told her what he had told me about her sobering up and finding someone better. She told me **he** was the heavy drinker, not her. She told me she had a family history of alcoholism, so she never touched anything stronger than soda. T.K., she told me that Steven accused her of having an affair with a co-worker of his and wouldn't ever believe her when she insisted it was purely platonic. Caroline said that when she finally got up the courage to break up with him, he frightened her so badly that she asked for and was granted a restraining order against him."

"That should be in the police system and easy enough to verify if it's true," T.K. murmured to herself, making mental notes for later. To Natalie she said, "Did Caroline tell you that he hurt her?"

Natalie blinked back unshed tears. "You don't get a restraining order for no reason," she whispered. "Caroline sounded afraid of him and she told me to get away from him as fast as I could."

"Did you ever tell anybody about this, Natalie? Did you ever tell Adrian or Leland? They could have - "

"No," she admitted, looking down at the table. Even those two questions from T.K. sounded like T.K. was disappointed in her for not telling. "I wanted to handle it myself. I told Steven I couldn't handle the long-distance relationship and we needed to break up. T.K., Adrian was just starting to get his life back. He'd solved Trudy's murder and was spending a lot of his time with Trudy's daughter, Molly. He was happy for the first time since I'd known him. I didn't want to drag him back down. I had no idea Steven would think if we weren't long-distance anymore, that I would want to be with him."

T.K. was still concerned. "Have you told anyone now, sweetie? If Steven was that upset with you when you said the relationship was really over that he called you horrible names and demeaned your relationship with Adrian, aren't you worried that he might come back and try to hurt you?"

"I don't _think _he would. At least, I hope he wouldn't."

"I wouldn't take that chance if I were you, Natalie," T.K. said, seriously. "I had a ten-step plan and I had friends that were willing to help me stay safe when I decided to take my life back and leave James, and I left him in the middle of the night when he was asleep. So please listen to me when I beg you to tell Adrian, and please allow me to tell my husband. Leland can help you. Natalie, this doesn't feel good to me, at all, and the very last thing I want is for you or Adrian or even your daughter to put yourselves in danger because you trusted someone you thought wouldn't ever hurt you. Natalie...the woman he was engaged to twenty years ago is still afraid of him to this day and would barely talk to you. That means something. If you won't listen to her or even yourself, **please** listen to me."

Natalie continued to look down. "I really would hate to think he would try to hurt me, but his fiancée got a restraining order against him and he did tell me that I would regret breaking up with him and that our relationship wasn't over. So…you're right. It doesn't feel good. I'll find a good time to talk to Adrian, T.K. I promise. You can tell Leland, too."

"Tell him today, Natalie. I will call you every day until you tell him," T.K. told the other woman seriously. She checked her watch. Two hours had completely flown by and she needed to get to work. "Natalie, as much as I would love to stay and continue this, I need to get some work done this afternoon so I should be getting to my office. And you need to pick up Adrian from therapy, don't you?"

Natalie glanced at her watch and her eyes widened. "You're right. Adrian hates to wait, I should go." Natalie took the check from T.K.'s hand and held it further away when T.K. reached for it. "Mine. You can get the next one. This needs to be a regular thing. Same time next week?"

T.K. eagerly agreed and as soon as Natalie was out the door of the coffee shop, T.K. took out a small notebook from her purse and wrote down the name _Caroline Shelton - Galveston / Steven Albright. _She had some old journalist contacts in Galveston and they could help her figure out the truth. Steven Albright scared her and reminded T.K. too much of her ex-boyfriend James. She didn't want the same thing that happened to her to happen to Natalie.

* * *

As Natalie drove to the rehab center to pick up Adrian from therapy, he was working hard. Natalie believed that therapy was simple mobility exercises and basic weight training. But that was what Adrian wanted her to believe. They did work on those things, yes, but that only was for the first forty-five minutes of each session. The remainder of the session, the last hour and a half, was more intense. Monk was spending the majority of the therapy time learning how to stand and walk so he could ultimately surprise Natalie and not only take her on a proper, classic date, but not be so much of a burden to her like he had been. Adrian started physical therapy on the parallel bars, but by his third week, he graduated to the use of just a set of crutches or a cane. His strength was quickly returning and with it a sense of confidence that he had lacked ever since the explosion. Adrian Monk was coming back.

Natalie arrived only five minutes late after her coffee-shop meet-up with T.K. but that was, of course, five minutes too late for Adrian Monk. She fully expected him to be dressed, waiting for her impatiently, and then she would hear a lecture on punctuality the entire way home. When she got to the front desk, she was instead told that the therapy session was running late. Adrian was towards the end of a hydrotherapy session and Natalie was told that she was more than welcome to go to the window of the pool and watch. So, watch she did.

As she walked up to the window, there, coming up out of the water the moment she first looked inside, in nothing but a pair of well-fitting swim trunks, was Adrian - water glistening on his muscles, which seemed enhanced due to the heavy workout that he had that day. As he took a few slow steps on his own and sat at the side of the pool, she watched the therapist hand him a towel, which Adrian dried his face with and tossed it over his shoulder. He looked around at something and glanced towards the window, a bright smile appearing on his face and a look of something else she couldn't bear to think of at that moment. He'd seen her.

After all the teasing he had taken from her over the years, this was going to be fun.

Natalie blushed and looked down, walking away from the window and to a safe bench far enough away that she might be done blushing by the time he found her. She had been blatantly ogling him and he knew it.

Ten minutes later, he was dressed and mostly dry, wheeling himself out to the bench where she was sitting. "Hey. Ready to go?" he asked.

"You have _no_ idea how ready I am," were the first words that came out of her mouth and Natalie's cheeks flushed pink. Adrian might be repressed in certain areas, but he was still very much a man and she didn't want to think about what his thoughts were of what she had just said or how the words might have sounded.

He grinned, but let it go. Then, he motioned with his hand for her to leave in front of him. "Ladies first." He said sweetly - and he rolled out to where she had parked, slowly standing and holding on to both his cane and the side of the car as she folded up the wheelchair to put it in the trunk of her car.

It was five minutes of contented silence as Natalie started the drive home before he decided to speak.

"What did you do while I was in therapy today, Natalie? I feel bad that you're stuck down here for so long three days a week."

Natalie shrugged and kept her eyes on the road. It was safer that way, in more ways than one. "Today I met with T.K. for coffee at a little shop a few blocks away. Nothing major. Leland did good this time, Adrian. I like her. She's helped me a lot lately and I think we could be friends."

"Oh, that's great, Natalie. You being friends with T.K. will make things much more convenient for all of us," he said without explanation, looking away when she glanced at him. He changed the subject. "I'm very sorry that therapy went longer than usual today, I'm afraid that was my fault. You weren't waiting long, were you?"

She paused and cleared her throat. "No! Um, no. I wasn't waiting too long."

"Natalie Jane..." He drew out each syllable of her name and when she turned to finally meet his gaze he stared back at her with the same intensity she remembered from just before their almost-kiss three weeks prior. She shivered. "Were _you_ watching me swim?"

Natalie's face turned red and she turned her attention back to the road. "No comment."

Natalie dared to look down and watched in complete shock as Adrian reached his hand over the center console to put his hand on her knee. "Yes comment. You're blushing. I never thought I'd ever see the day."

Natalie bit her lip, grinning, and rolled her eyes. "You are having way too much fun with this. I might have been watching you a little."

He lifted his hand off of her knee, then brought his fist up to his face, put one hand under his elbow and stared at her.

"What now?" she asked, glancing over at him.

He flexed his bicep. "Did you see anything that you liked?" He said before returning his hand to her knee.

Natalie smacked his hand off her knee and tried supremely hard not to laugh. "Stop taunting me. Can we change the subject? You can talk about anything you want besides this and I won't complain, scout's honor."

"Oh, Ms. Teeger, of course not. I want to know what _exactly_ it was that made my sweet assistant - no, my partner...no, that's not right either. I want to know what it was that made my _significant other _turn that particular shade of red."

Natalie blushed and Adrian knew that for the first time in quite awhile he had said exactly the right thing. After a few seconds she told him.

"Alright. If you must know, I've never seen you that way before and you - you looked very, very nice."

"Nice?" he asked.

"Hot," she mumbled under her breath, sighing and saying it louder when Adrian merely raised his eyebrow at her.

"The water temperature wasn't particularly elevated." He responded.

"Fine! Sexy." She said after a few seconds when he looked like he didn't quite get it what the reference 'hot' meant.

Adrian grinned. "I knew what you meant the first time, I just wanted to hear you say it." Then, it was like the word entered his brain and he thought about it, and _he_ blushed. "Now, that's a word I've never heard in reference to me."

Natalie purposefully made her voice softer, almost a soft purr. "If that's the first time you've heard that phrase in regard to yourself, well...I'll just have to tell you that every day until you believe me, won't I?"

Monk cleared his throat. "That won't be necessary, Natalie. Hearing it once was nice and more than enough. But - can I tell you one more thing?"

Natalie nodded.

Adrian waited until they were at a red light and quickly leaned over to press a feather-light kiss to her cheek, a stronger and longer cheek kiss immediately following. He moved his hand back to her knee.

"If I had known that the sight of me swimming was going to get this kind of a reaction out of you, I would have taken water off of my list of phobias years ago."

He looked out the window before she could even formulate a response.


	28. The Terror in Texas

Leland looked at the clock on his nightstand, rubbing at his eyes and reaching for his reading glasses to make sure the flashing red numbers were saying what he thought they said. As he acclimated to the darkness, he heard small movements happening downstairs and saw a light flickering from somewhere in the kitchen or the living room. He sighed in frustration. It was twelve-thirty in the morning and if Max was just getting home - well, there were going to be words. Max was seventeen and as of eight months ago was living with him and T.K. full-time. Leland was thrilled with the new arrangement but was dutiful in making sure Max called his mom once a week. It was the only way to keep Karen from taking him to court to force Max to come back to live with her.

Leland sighed and got out of bed, fully prepared to chew out his son for missing curfew by two hours (Monk clearly didn't know everything if he thought Jared and Max were always well-behaved young men), and it was then he noticed that T.K.'s side of the bed was empty. A quick check down the hall in Max's room showed that the seventeen-year-old was where he was supposed to be, asleep. He flipped on the light switch as he went downstairs and even from the distance between them, he could see how his wife jumped when it changed from the dim lighting to full brightness.

T.K. twisted around from her position on the couch to glare at him. "Leland, you scared me," she scolded him. There was a light on in the kitchen and a lamp turned on in the living room but other than that she had been working from only the reflection from her laptop. "What are you doing awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he told her. "I woke up and you weren't there. Honey, it's almost one o'clock. You said you were coming to bed after the news was over."

He watched as T.K. glanced at her phone and then at the lower right-hand corner of her laptop screen as though she was just now noticing the time. "I'm - I'm sorry," she murmured; and as he continued to watch her, she hurriedly shut her laptop and pushed all the papers that were surrounding her on the table back into their folders. "I just needed to get some work done."

Leland took note that her immediate reaction to his gentle reproach of her all-nighter was to apologize and put away her work. That wasn't like his wife. Something was bothering her. Something had been bothering her at dinner and he had been too caught up in his own case-work to notice. But that stopped now.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

She looked up at him but didn't say anything, even when he came into the living room and sat by her on the couch. Now, he was concerned with the look in her eyes: like she was struggling with whether or not to tell him something, even something as simple as what the article she was working on was supposed to be about. This too was very uncharacteristic of his wife and it put his need to know what was bothering her into overdrive. Still, she said nothing.

"T.K., that shouldn't be a hard question," he said quietly. "Tell me what's going on with you today."

T.K. looked at him for a long time, silently weighing her options, knowing her husband well enough to know this line of conversation would probably open the door to questions she in no way wanted to answer, at least not like this, on their couch in the middle of the night. But her common sense and overwhelming concern and fear for Natalie won out. She sighed, then opened the laptop and angled it towards Leland, sliding it closer towards him. She reached behind him to turn on the lamp on his side of the couch and watched his face anxiously for the first reaction from him.

"Restraining orders in Travis County, Texas?" he mumbled to himself. The way T.K. was looking at him, he knew this wasn't an article for one of the magazines she wrote for. "T.K.," he said, his voice firmer this time but still gentle. "Tell me everything."

The words seemed to flow out of her at a rapid speed. "Natalie told me some things this afternoon about Steven Albright, some things that concerned me, but the main thing she told me is that Caroline Shelton, his former fiancee, had a restraining order taken out on him soon after she called off their engagement. She said that she called Caroline in order to ask her about it, but that Caroline didn't want to say much. So, I did some digging and reached out to a couple of contacts I still have in Galveston and you won't believe what I've found out so far."

She leaned over and moved the cursor on the screen to open the second tab. "Look, Leland, look and read that and tell me what you think. Tell me what you think as a detective."

Leland peered closer at the screen and half-wished he'd brought his glasses downstairs with him.

"It says that Caroline Shelton had to bow out of a charity event she was planning on attending because she was recovering from serious injuries that she suffered when she fell in her home." He frowned and went back to the page that showed a copy of the restraining order against Steven Albright. Looking towards the top for the date it was filed, he then returned to the article T.K. had found. T.K. was watching him and her eyes lit up when he seemed to notice the same similarities she had. "This article was written two days after the restraining order was created."

"Exactly." T.K. clicked back to the digital copy of the restraining order. "Look right there. Threat of physical abuse."

"T.K., it said she fell down the stairs," Leland said slowly, but even as he was hearing himself say it, he realized how weak of an argument that was. "Honey, this is just circumstantial evidence. You don't know that he hurt…"

"Yes, he did! Steven Albright hurt her, I'm sure of it. The article says she fell in her home, Leland. 'I fell at home.' 'I tripped.' 'I'm just clumsy.' That's all - that's all classic domestic abuse victim-excuses. I remember using all of those excuses to try and explain away bruises, the times he wasn't smart enough to hit me where people couldn't see. And it said no charges were ever filed against anyone, he probably paid her off or threatened her. He probably -" Her voice trailed off when she saw the way her husband was looking at her. T.K. suddenly realized what it was that she'd said out loud. "Oh. Leland, I..."

Leland held up his hand and she stopped talking. His voice was low, dangerous, nothing she'd ever heard from him before. "Someone _hurt_ you?"

T.K. swallowed and nodded. After a long pause, she began to share. "I was twenty-three. It was my first serious relationship out of college. His name was James and I loved him very much despite everything he did to me. And no, I'm not telling you any more than that."

"T.K. - "

"Leland, I said no!" Her voice was suddenly on the edge of hysterics, and she had to look at her phone and look away from Leland to calm herself down. It was a good thing she did, because she got a text notification from her journalist friend that she'd contacted to check her email as soon as possible.

Quickly she went back to her laptop and brought up her email. Her eyes scanned the message, slowly reading and re-reading each word so she could be certain of what she was reading and showed it to her husband. "Read this and tell me what you think _now._ I'm not crazy. I'm not projecting. I'm scared for Natalie is what I am."

"I never said you were..." He stopped talking as he read the message. T.K.'s contact had somehow, at this hour, managed to find and speak to a nurse at the hospital where Albright's ex-fiancée had been a patient. Leland drummed his fingertips on the table in anger, mostly for his wife but also for Caroline Shelton. It seemed Caroline had been pushed out of a moving car and dumped into the ambulance bay of the hospital. Upon admission, she was found to have multiple broken bones and fresh bruises and when she had been undressed by the nurse, she had bruises on her back that had the imprint of a belt buckle and also had the faint shape of hands on her neck. Shelton was in the hospital for two weeks and despite the fact that her physical injuries contradicted what she told the police, she never changed her story that she had fallen down the stairs.

What got Leland's attention the most was the notation at the bottom from T.K.'s contact.

_T.K. - I did a little more digging and this nurse told the truth. I believe her. She also took a two-week vacation shortly after Caroline Shelton was admitted to the hospital and no one ever knew how she got the money. Apparently, when I called her, she had a crisis of conscience and started to talk. I know you're married to a cop now. Tell him all of this. Be careful. Keep in touch so I know you're okay._

Leland looked up at T.K. when he finished reading the whole thing.

T.K. stared back at him, unblinking. "He hurt her, Leland. He almost killed her because she wanted to leave him. Natalie just told him they were most definitely over and he accused her of some horrible things. I -"

Leland immediately pulled T.K. in his arms and kissed the top of her head right as she started to cry and didn't stop for fifteen minutes. "I'll talk to Monk later today at work. We'll make sure Natalie is safe, don't you worry. Everything is going to be all right." He rocked her until her sobs tapered off to occasional whimpers and he knew she wasn't only crying for Natalie. "I'll make a detective of you, yet."

* * *

Upon hearing the news about the assault on Caroline Shelton, Adrian Monk became very quiet. Leland knew his friend well but even he was having a difficult time deciphering which emotion was reigning over Monk's mind at that very moment. He had seen so many that morning as he explained the situation to his longtime friend and had given him news that, despite her promise to do otherwise, Natalie had not shared with Monk. He looked disturbed when Leland told him about the restraining order that Caroline had filed, then shocked and a bit hurt when he indicated that Natalie had told T.K. but not him. A bit of righteous indignation was displayed when he heard of the extent of her injuries, replaced with concern and again anger when he considered that the same man who had likely created these injuries was the one who told his Natalie that she would regret breaking up with him and that it wasn't over by a long shot.

Leland could understand why Monk might be angry at Natalie for keeping the truth from him. Both men had mopped up more than their fair share of homicide scenes in which someone had placed undue trust in the hands of a psychopathic killer; and Natalie's silence over this matter may have unknowingly put herself and others in physical jeopardy. This silence was made all the worse by the fact that the only other woman that Monk had ever loved had also remained silent about someone who was a threat against her, and she paid for that silence with her life.

As they pulled up to the house, Leland helped Monk to retrieve his wheelchair from the trunk and wished him luck in his talk with Natalie. He instructed him to call if he had any new information and then promised to do the same. He didn't wheel Monk up to the front door like he normally would have, for Monk insisted that he be allowed to do it himself. It was all a part of rebuilding strength and gaining independence. And so, Leland left him there on the sidewalk, staring at the house contemplating what he was going to say when he went in.

Adrian arrived at the front door at precisely the same time that Julie was leaving to go audition for a play that Berkeley was putting on during its Spring Semester. She held the door open for him and then gave him a hug, telling both Natalie and Adrian not to worry about making dinner for her because she would be eating out with friends. Unless something else came up, she expected that she would be home around nine. Natalie told her to have fun and Monk echoed the sentiment; however, in all truth, his mind was nowhere near Julie's social agenda.

"Good Evening Detective," Natalie said cheerfully, as she reached into the oven to put in a cobbler that she was preparing for that evening's dinner. "I'll be right in there with you in a second, just as soon as I take care of this."

"Take your time." He replied softly, as he drummed the arms of his wheelchair with his fingers.

Monk welcomed the extra time her baking afforded him, because even now he wasn't sure of exactly what he was going to say or how he was even going to broach the subject with Natalie. He had so many conflicting emotions running through his brain, that he wasn't sure which one was going to bubble out first and wanted to maintain a certain level of control. On the one hand, he loved Natalie and didn't want to allow himself to go on the attack and start a fight, at least not with her. On the other, he was very hurt and upset that she had kept what information she had from him and was ready to sharply reprimand her for taking such a stupid risk by not telling him. He knew that such an approach would probably do more harm than good; and yet, he loathed when people treated him as if he were too fragile to take bad news. Also, the fact that she hid this information from him to protect him hit a little too close for comfort. Surely, she wasn't thinking. She knew his history. She wouldn't have kept something this serious from him deliberately.

"Ah…that's better!" she stated, interrupting his thoughts and walking out of the kitchen to join him at the dining room table where he had parked his chair. "And how was your day?" She asked, hugging him, but only receiving a slight hug in return.

"It was okay." He said, with a face so serious that immediately she knew there was an issue.

"Uh-oh. Just okay?" she inquired. "Adrian…what's going on? I've seen that look. Something's on your mind."

He didn't answer. Rather, he took a deep breath because his impulse at that moment was to launch into attack mode. Clinching his jaw, he tried to prepare himself for a rational discussion.

"Alright. What's wrong? Did Leland yell at you at work today or something? Do I have to call Sharona and have her tell Randy to stop picking on you?"

Finally, he looked over at her and looked deeply into her eyes. It was then that she realized that it wasn't Leland or Randy he was upset with, but her. She still did not know why.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said softly – his tone made deliberately flat so as to not highlight the emotions which were threatening to explode within him.

"Excuse me?" she asked. "Tell you? About what? Adrian, are you upset with me over something?"

"Why didn't you tell me? About Caroline. About Albright. About the restraining order. I heard you mention her name when you were on the porch with him, but I didn't know what that meant. And you never explained. Why didn't you tell me?"

Natalie's expression paled at the knowledge that she hadn't made time to tell him the truth about what she knew and that he had heard from some other source.

"Adrian…I was going to…"

"You were going to?! You were going to tell me? When, Natalie? Your life could have been in danger with this goon and you hid that information from me. When? When were you going to tell me? After he attacked you?"

"Adrian. Calm down. I…Steven wasn't going to attack me, and I wasn't deliberately hiding this information from you. I promise. It's just, I saw how happy you were after getting resolution on Trudy's murder…"

"You saw how happy I was after solving Trudy's murder so you figured you would let me go on believing life was just swell and grand until I had to show up at a homicide scene to identify your body? Is that it?"

"Adrian. That's ridiculous! You're not being fair. If I had truly believed that Steven was a danger…"

"Steven is a danger!"

"Will you stop interrupting me? I'm not a child!"

"Dammit Natalie!" he shouted. Natalie shrank back at his rare use of profanity, particularly when addressing her. Clearly he was very upset. His voice softened in volume, but not in intensity. "Neither am I! And I really wish people would stop treating me as if I am or as if I am too weak mentally to handle bad news. The fact of the matter is that you knew that Caroline Shelton, Steven Albright's former fiancée, had been so frightened of him that she filed a restraining order on him."

"And, I suppose that Leland told you this?"

"Yes. And T.K. told him, and she heard it from you. You had ample time to tell me, but I had to find out through them so now you're just…you're just going to shut up and listen."

She recoiled. Now she was becoming angry. "I'm going to what? Listen Adrian, I don't like your tone of voice and how you're speaking to me."

"Well just be thankful sweetheart that I _am_ still speaking to you. Be thankful that you can hear me and that you haven't gone and left Julie an orphan."

"Seriously? Adrian. This is where you want to go with this? That's pretty low. Believe me, if I had thought that Steve would ever…"

"Natalie. You don't know what I know. You don't know what you've done. I really did not want to get emotional about this, but I see now that it's going to be impossible to talk about this and not be emotional, so I need you to listen to me. I need you to hear what I'm saying. I'm not saying this because I'm…I'm not saying JUST because I'm angry with you, which I am. I'm saying this because I know information that you don't know and quite frankly, at this moment, I don't know what to do. I…I feel sick inside and I feel angry. I feel hurt. I feel…I feel like it's déjà vu all over again and I need you to listen. I need you to understand the seriousness of what you've gotten…No. That's not fair. I need you to understand the seriousness of the situation that you, and I, and Julie…that we're all in. " He said, his voice trailing off towards the end.

Natalie remained perfectly still in order to let him talk. She planned on having her say when he was finished because frankly, the way he was approaching her was completely out of bounds – at least in her eyes.

"Natalie." He looked down for a moment to try to gather his thoughts, then he looked up at her eye to eye. His eyes were no longer angry but expressed great concern. "You…you told T.K. the other morning during my therapy about the restraining order that Caroline filed against Steven. She confirmed that part was true by checking into the records for the Travis County Texas courthouse – that's Austin. She also had one of her newspaper contacts investigate the incident in order to see what had precipitated the order and if there had been any arrests. Almost immediately, they found a newspaper article stating that Caroline Shelton wasn't going to be able to attend a Childhood Leukemia charity event because she was recuperating from injuries sustained in an unspecified fall. That was all it said. The said fall, however, happened the very week the order was filed against Steven, so T.K.'s contact decided to look into it further. He got ahold of the nurse, who has since retired, and asking her if she remembered anything about the case."

"And?" Natalie asked.

"And. She remembered it well. She said…" He suddenly looked away and looked very disturbed. "She said it was no fall, but rather, Caroline had been beaten so badly that she had internal bleeding and multiple broken bones. She said that Caroline was literally tossed into the ambulance bay at the hospital and just left there. Nobody saw who dropped her off, but she was in such bad shape that it took multiple hours of surgery just to repair the damage. It was touch and go for days."

Natalie's expression turned to shock as the blood drained from her face. "Steven did that to her?"

Monk's face was one of utmost seriousness. "Yes. That was what was always suspected; however, Caroline never pressed charges on him and refused to say that he had beaten her up. In spite of evidence to the contrary, she always characterized it publicly as a fall.

It was broadly whispered at the time that Albright had done it to her in a drunken rage. And somehow, she did get a restraining order filed on him over 'threat of physical abuse.' Leland is checking right now to see what that even means, since no charges were filed. But, the true reason for her injuries have publicly remained a mystery to this day. The newspaper wouldn't allow the reporter to report on anything other than the official story for libel reasons, and Albright's connections apparently made it so that he was able to skate, without the attack showing up on his record. He transferred out to sea and spent the next several years in the Persian Gulf. Caroline moved to Galveston, as you know, and apparently is so frightened of him that she won't talk to anyone about what actually happened to this day."

Natalie's eyes looked away towards the floor. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't know. I talked to her briefly, but she never told me for sure that he had hurt her. You were so happy. I hated to drag you into my problem…"

Adrian looked at her. "Hated to drag me? Natalie…do you know what would have happened to me if something happened to you? Even back then. Before…before I knew…or before I would admit it to myself, how I felt about you?" His face turned crimson and he blinked away the angry tears that now brimmed within his eyes. "If…that…PUNK…" he said, as a stream of tears rolled down his cheek, "If he had hurt you…if he had gone so far as to…"

He stopped, unable to continue. Bringing his hand to his face he bowed his head and kneaded the bridge of his nose with his fingers and Natalie saw great drops of water falling from his face into his lap. She placed her hand on his back and then his shoulders began to shake. She leaned forward and placed her head on his shoulder, wrapping the other arm around him, embracing him in a hug.

"Adrian. I'm sorry for not telling you. I didn't hold back because I didn't trust you. I trust you with everything. I hope you know that. I just didn't know. "

He raised his head and moved her away from him. With tear-filled eyes, he took her by the hands. His expression was one of urgency.

"Natalie. You can't do this. _We _can't do this. We can't keep secrets. I've already lost one..." he paused and closed his eyes, flashing back to the moment in the garage over a decade prior when his life changed forever. He took a deep breath and tried to focus, rephrasing what he was about to say. "I already lost Trudy because she kept secrets from me. I could have protected her from Rickover. I know I could have. I could have possibly saved her life."

"Adrian."

"Natalie…I can't do that again. I can't go through that again. Not with you too. I wouldn't survive it." He said, staring at her again before closing his eyes as the tears again began to flow.

Immediately any anger that Natalie felt at the way he had addressed her earlier melted away because she understood. She understood the depth of fear and anguish that she had brought upon him, without even knowing she was doing it. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him and held him close and he returned her embrace tighter than she could ever remember.

"Adrian. It's okay. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I was going to tell you, but I just never found the right moment."

He continued to hold her. "Please…Promise me, you'll never do that again and that you'll let me protect you. I…I can't give you a lot of the things that I want to, but I can do that for you. Natalie, I would give my life for you." He whispered.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet man." She said, placing her arms around his shoulders and then running her fingers through his hair as she placed a soft kiss upon his cheek. "I am _so_ sorry that I scared you and truly, if I thought there was any danger, you would have been the first person that I would have reached out to…"

"Natalie…" he said, looking up at her.

"No. Let me finish. I promise you that I will be more careful in the future. And, I won't go doing something like this again. I should have told you the minute I heard there was a restraining order. But…I just thought it was something I could handle myself, and I didn't want to bother you with my problems."

"Bother me? Natalie…You're never a bother to me."

She put her hand on his mouth and looked deep within his eyes. "Adrian, listen to me. Nothing is going to happen to me. You don't have to worry. I'll be okay. I promise."

He looked with eyes full of worry and yet also with an innocent acceptance, then kissed her forehead and drew her back into his arms where she stayed for a very long time.


	29. The Prelude to a Party

The last remnants of summer faded into fall, and Steven Albright's sudden re-emergence and then disappearance from Natalie's life was fading further and further away - or at least it would be, if her friends and loved ones would stop worrying about her. Leland, or T.K., called the Teeger residence every morning like clockwork and if someone didn't answer the landline within four rings then her cell phone would start to ring. Natalie protested the daily phone calls and after the first three days begged T.K. to make Leland stop. But Leland merely chided her and told her if she would answer the phone when she was supposed to, it wouldn't have to drag on and on like it always did. Adrian was no help at all; he encouraged this behavior. He was actually on Leland's side. They were all being ridiculous, or so she thought. Steven hadn't tried to contact her once since the night he'd sped away and she wanted to forget all of that had ever even happened.

Only when Adrian sat her down one afternoon and broke the news to her that Leland and Randy had sent someone to look for Caroline Shelton at her last known address in Galveston and they couldn't find her, did Natalie reluctantly consent to dealing with the daily phone calls from the Stottlemeyers and, on occasion, Randy. She didn't think anything was wrong. Many people moved without leaving a forwarding address and that didn't mean they were in harm's way from an abusive ex-fiancée. However, she suspected that Adrian and Leland thought differently and had promised Adrian that she would let him protect her. It was so important to him that he be allowed to do that. So, for his sake, she would put up with the check-in calls, at least for the time being. She didn't want to live her life in fear; but if it would help make everyone more comfortable about the situation, she would cooperate.

In reality, she wanted to spend the majority of her time thinking of happier things, such as how Adrian was being presented with an award at the upcoming Policeman's Ball for his decades-worth of service and loyalty to the city. It was an event that had been widely advertised throughout the city and even made its way onto the local news broadcast two or three times that week. How proud she was of him! She was so happy that he was being recognized, and was also so happy about how he was getting better and stronger in therapy every day. It made her smile when she thought of how this long nightmare would soon be over and how, physically, he would soon be back to his normal self. He kept assuring her that, once he was strong enough, he was going to take her out to dinner at the best restaurant in San Francisco, and with the progress he was making, she expected that this would happen very, very soon.

Of course, the idea of Adrian's improving health was a wonderful thing to think about. However, it was not without its downside. It must have been Leland or Randy or T.K. on the line when Julie had picked up the house phone one day, because the teenager had giggled and answered it, "Temporary Teeger-Monk residence, how can I help you?"

Natalie didn't know why she had swallowed back tears as the word _temporary_ kept echoing in her head, almost like it was mocking her. This _was_ only temporary, Adrian living with them. It was always only supposed to be until Adrian was healed enough to where he could safely manage to go back home. She wondered if he missed his apartment. If she had been away from her home for three months, she knew she would miss it. Natalie wasn't sure yet how she would react when the day came that he would leave, but she knew one...no, two things for sure. First, their house would never be as clean again as it was when he was here. Second, and more importantly, it would be so much lonelier without him.

* * *

Since the afternoon of the NASCAR-race-up-and-down-the-grocery-aisles (where Adrian's groceries had gone bad since he left them in the cab and Natalie's groceries had been rendered inedible because, in her haste to beat Adrian to the checkout line, Julie had packed the bread under two large bottles of soda and smashed both their eggs and fruit), Natalie banned Adrian and Julie from going grocery shopping together. Neither of them seemed too upset about this, but unfortunately, that meant Natalie had to do all their grocery shopping alone. For safety reasons, she would still text or call every ten minutes or so and she would always go while it was daylight, but every Tuesday, for a few hours in the afternoon, she would go shopping and allow her two housemates to fend for themselves at home. This wasn't really an issue because Julie was responsible, and Adrian was pretty much self-sufficient these days.

* * *

Natalie arrived home one such afternoon with two bags in each hand and the fifth over her shoulder. She muttered to herself that they could at least come to the door and help her, but she received no response. Both of them were quite busy. As she entered the house, she found Julie laying on the living room floor with her calculus notebook in front of her. She was facing the stairwell, away from Adrian. Adrian was sitting on his hospital bed, intensely concentrating on performing exercises his physical therapist told him would be beneficial to work on at home. Natalie walked into the kitchen then set her grocery bags on the counter and cocked her head in bemused puzzlement.

"And, Julie is facing the stairs _because_?" she wanted to know.

Adrian had been so focused that he hadn't heard her come in. His eyes lit up when he saw her. "Natalie! You're home!" He glanced over at Julie and kept his second comment to himself for the moment, then he looked back at Natalie with a look on his face as though she should surely know the answer to that question already. "I'm doing my exercises. She can't watch me, Natalie. It's indecent."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought."

She stepped into the living room and gave Adrian a quick hug. "Of course, I'm home, Adrian. Safe and sound, just like I told you I would be. You and Leland worry too much."

"We don't worry too much. We just want you to be safe." was his response.

She quickly kissed his cheek before walking back to the kitchen to unpack the groceries and start to put everything away where it belonged, stopping every few minutes to keep an eye on him and Julie. Natalie smiled to herself when the silence in the Teeger-Monk household was occasionally broken by Julie asking a calculus-related question followed by Adrian reciting a theorem or equation that would help Julie to work out the problem on her own.

* * *

After finishing up his exercises and cleaning up in the bathroom, Adrian came out into the living room just as Julie was shutting her calculus textbook and Natalie was putting away the last of the chicken pot pie. Natalie put her hands on her hips and glared at both of them, fully intending to make them both in charge of preparing dinner _and_ doing the dishes since they had both completely ignored her asking for help to put away the groceries. However, before she could say anything, Julie informed her of a phone call she had received that afternoon.

"Oh, mom, before I forget. Commander Stottlemeyer called when you were grocery shopping," the eighteen-year-old said, doing a decent job of acting nonchalant. "He wanted to be sure you and Adrian were coming to the party on Friday so he could reserve the six-person table in that far corner - so Adrian doesn't freak out about the big crowd."

Natalie smiled. "Well, that's nice of him."

"I _don't_ freak out about crowds," Adrian muttered. Natalie looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He sighed. "At least not as bad as I used to." he insisted. And he was right. He was so much better about a lot of his phobias and fears than even a year ago.

Natalie snuck a glance at Adrian when Julie wasn't looking and he looked back at her, smiling bashfully. She ducked her head and blushed. For Pete's sake, all he had to do was _look_ at her these days and she turned red like she was a silly schoolgirl.

"Of course, we're going. Adrian's being recognized for all the good work he's done for San Francisco, why wouldn't we be going? Besides, I've had my dress hanging on the back of my closet for a week."

Julie shrugged. This time her nonchalance wasn't as convincing. "No reason, mom, just asking."

Natalie narrowed her eyes in suspicion at her daughter but didn't say anything more.

Adrian motioned for Natalie to come to him as soon as Julie left the room, and geez, here she was, blushing again. It was just the way he'd crooked his finger at her and told her without words to come. She walked over to him but he asked her to come closer and murmured for her to bend down so he could whisper. His breath was hot in her ear and his voice tantalizingly seductive.

"Is this a dress I've seen you in before?" he asked, quickly raising and lowering his eyebrows.

Natalie blinked and tried to stammer out an answer but gave up when he reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He smiled. "Not that it matters. You'll look stunning in whatever you wear."

Not once, in her wildest dreams, did she ever imagine Adrian Monk would be this much of a flirt. Julie was upstairs, for quite some time and they were all alone. She ached for him to kiss her. How badly she wanted him to kiss her. But, when he made no movement towards fulfilling that wish, she decided that if he wanted to flirt, she could, too. She stepped closer to him, close enough that he hesitantly reached out and put his hand on her waist.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she whispered softly.

He ducked his head and murmured hoarsely, "Yes, I would, Natalie, I - "

"You _do_ want to go to this ceremony, I hope," she said in response. "You _are_ taking me, aren't you, Adrian?"

Natalie instantly wished she hadn't been quite so straightforward when his hand dropped from her waist, the playfulness disappeared from his face, and she saw the split-second flash of hurt flicker in his eyes.

"Natalie, yes, we're going. Do you...not _want_ to go with me?"

"Oh, of course I want to," she hastened to assure him. She couldn't remember wanting anything more since that day five weeks ago when he'd almost kissed her, also in this living room. Her reasons for asking the question sounded horribly immature to her own ears but she couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth. "You weren't sure at first if you were going but then when you decided to go, you assumed automatically that I was going with you. You...never asked me. That's all."

Adrian contemplated what she had said, and was opening his mouth to speak when Julie again came bounding down the stairs, heading for the event calendar that they had hanging in the kitchen. Monk shut his mouth and never said another word about the party that afternoon.

As Julie finished up writing her latest exam dates on the calendar in orange ink (Adrian's three-times-a-week physical therapy appointments were written in blue, Natalie's next coffee meet-up with T.K. and her weekly errands were red) she peered into the living room. _Adrian and mom are awfully close together_, she thought. _Interesting_.

* * *

Monk was deep in thought but otherwise pleasant for the rest of the afternoon and the dinner hour came sooner than anyone had expected. When Julie fell asleep sometime around ten during their nightly movie watching, Natalie told Adrian to let her stay where she was and that she could move herself to her bedroom whenever she woke up. For now, Natalie herself was feeling sleepy and would be going to bed.

He looked at her intently as if he desperately wanted to say something, anything to fix what he had apparently done wrong, but settled for wishing her a good night's sleep and pressing a soft kiss inside her palm before she walked away. Natalie's eyes softened and she opened her mouth like she wanted to say something. too, but instead she wished him a good night and walked upstairs.

Adrian watched her to make sure she made it up the stairs safely in the dark - _no, he was not watching her walk away because he liked to look at her, that was completely inappropriate before their first date _– he thought. Then, his mind filled with thoughts of taking her to the Policeman's Ball on Friday. He was thinking about it still when he reached for the remote to turn down the volume of the television, grabbed his cane so he could steady himself, and stood.

He reached down with one hand and placed a blanket over Julie, doing his best to wrap it around her without waking her up. Then, he took her cell phone from her outstretched hand and set it on the table and went back to the couch to watch what was left of the movie. Not that he had a clue what he was watching. The only thing he thought about all night was Natalie.

* * *

Around midnight, Natalie was awakened by a light knock at her bedroom door. She sat up in bed and watched as two pieces of notebook paper slipped under the small space between the bottom of her door and the carpet. She groaned, turned on her lamp and went to the door to pick up the papers. One of them was slightly bigger than the other and said **READ ME FIRST**. It was in Julie's handwriting.

_Mom - Adrian insisted I put this under your door, whether or not you were awake_.

In teeny-tiny print at the bottom of the note was another sentence.

_Tell me what this is about in the morning_.

The second note was, of course, from Adrian. Natalie could have guessed that anyway because the creases in the folds were flawlessly straight and the paper was folded exactly ten times. Natalie took the note back to her bed and read it. It was written in Adrian's perfectly precise printing

_Natalie _\- _I haven't done this in a long time, so I'm sorry I didn't do it right. Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the party on Friday?_

Natalie buried her face in her pillow so Julie, who was more than likely still awake, wouldn't hear her decidedly unbecoming-of-a-thirty-eight-year-old-woman squeal. **Adrian Monk had just asked her out on a date!**

Immediately, she reached inside her dresser for a notepad and briefly considered asking Julie to come take her note downstairs for her. But she decided against it. Her daughter was already going to ask too many questions as it was. Instead, she got out of bed, not bothering to take her robe, and silently crept down the stairs in the darkness, making her way to Adrian's bedside. Carefully, she placed the note in his hand, curling his fingers around the folded paper so he wouldn't drop it. She stood there, content to watch him sleep - until the light in Julie's room turned on and she scurried back upstairs.

The next morning Adrian opened his hand and read the note; and, as he read it, he smiled. It simply said,

_I'd love to go with you to the dance, Adrian. Thank you for asking._

* * *

When Natalie came downstairs for breakfast, Adrian waited patiently for Julie to turn in the direction of the griddle to concentrate on making waffles. When she did, he wheeled close to where Natalie was sitting and dropped a precisely-folded note onto her lap. He mouthed for her to read it now, when Julie wasn't looking, and as soon as Natalie read the note she blushed and nodded. He smiled, having accomplished his goal.

Adrian had gotten so much bolder since Steven had disappeared from the picture and while Natalie was surprised by it, and in a way shocked by it, she loved it. Something inside was telling her this party was only the beginning of good things for her and Adrian Monk.

* * *

The rest of the week flew by, and before she knew it Natalie was in her bedroom getting ready for the party. She still couldn't believe she was this excited to go to a party with Adrian Monk of all people- a man that infamously was phobic of crowds and people- but excited she was. She was so excited that she forgot all about the rule they had agreed on earlier, that she wasn't allowed downstairs until Adrian was ready and said it was okay.

He wanted this to be "a proper date" which meant he had to go outside, ring the doorbell, and be invited in. Natalie personally thought it was cute how insistent he was; and she decided to go along with it because - why not? It took so little to make him happy sometimes, and she found herself thinking more and more that she would do just about anything within her power to see him smile.

After she dressed, Natalie began to slip down the stairs to join her date. Unfortunately, at this time, Adrian wasn't smiling at all. In fact, he looked quite perturbed at the way Julie was fussing over him trying to help him tie his tie properly. When she saw her mother on the stairs, the teenager quickly took a step to the right so that Natalie wasn't in Adrian's line of vision.

"Julie, I have lived quite well for fifty-one years knowing how to tie a tie all on my own." he griped.

Julie didn't even flinch. Her unflappable daughter.

"You want to look nice for Mom, don't you?" she asked him, then winked at Natalie when he wasn't looking.

Adrian bowed his head in defeat and Julie made a motion with her finger for him to lift his head so she could fix the tie.

Once it was fixed to her satisfaction, Julie handed him his cane so he could go outside and knock on the front door. She wasn't sure whether this entire charade was incredibly ridiculous or incredibly romantic, but she was willing to go with it because Adrian was so insistent on doing things right for her mom; and, she had to admit it was kind of cute.

* * *

After Adrian had gone outside and knocked once on the door, Natalie was at her side in a second, beckoning Julie to hurry up and let him in.

"I don't want him standing on that leg for too long." Natalie said. "He fought me about bringing the wheelchair tonight enough as it is."

Julie rolled her eyes at her mom and she headed for the front door.

"He's fine, mom, he's been standing up for two seconds. And he has his cane. Duh!"

Natalie didn't even respond to her daughter's back talk for when Julie opening the front door to introduce Adrian, she was awestruck by what seeing that man in a tux did to her. He'd always been handsome to her, even before she realized how she felt about him. But there was something about seeing him dressed up. Judging by the look on Adrian's face the moment that he saw her, she had a good feeling he was struggling with the same set of emotions that she was.

It had been a little white lie that she had this dress hanging on the back of her door for a week. In actuality, she'd spent the past three afternoons shopping with T.K looking for the perfect dress. Bless her heart, T.K hadn't asked a single question about why she was going through so much trouble to look good for Adrian.

Now, in her living room standing before him, it was clear to Natalie that she had succeeded beyond her greatest expectations.

* * *

Julie mumbled something about wanting to get her camera for a picture and the moment she was well out of the room, and out of earshot, Adrian walked to Natalie as fast as his cane would allow him to.

"You look - incredibly beautiful," he whispered softly, his eyes never leaving her face. "I don't think I have the words right now."

Natalie blushed, beginning to push her hair out of her eyes. Adrian reached out and put his hand on top of hers and when she stopped moving her hand, he tucked that strand of hair behind her ear. As they got lost in each other's gaze, their lips parted and she stayed perfectly still as he began to move towards her. Her face flushed with excitement and she was waiting for something to happen - something that her daughter was clearly determined to put a stop to since she chose that moment to return with the camera.

Natalie had decided to no longer be shocked when Adrian did something that surprised her. Upon hearing Julie's footsteps on the stairs, he easily stepped backwards and then slipped an arm around Natalie's waist, dutifully posing for the multitude of pictures Julie wanted without complaint. All Natalie wanted to do was ask him if he had taken anything that had the side-effect of say… completely changing his personality? As if he could read her mind, Adrian bent his head to her ear and whispered "The faster I do what Julie wants and don't complain, the faster we can get out of here." He looked back up at Julie and smiled.

Natalie stifled a giggle and motioned to Julie to wrap it up, they needed to be done soon. Both of them were reaching their limit of picture-taking.

Julie took one last picture that they were aware of and then, while he was helping Natalie on with her coat and they were looking into each other's eyes, she turned the flash off and took the real final picture of her mom and Adrian. She would show it to her mother the next day and ask her, once and for all, if there was anything romantic going on between her and her boss.


	30. The Party

With the heightened sense of anxiety surrounding Steven Albright and his potential threat towards the Teeger-Monk household weighing heavily on everyone's mind, Leland and Randy visited the ballroom on their own earlier in the afternoon to do a run-through of the venue. They took note of the entrances, three different exits, and multiple places to hide. Leland didn't expect Albright to show up there that evening - the man might be a worthless piece of scum that beat up his girlfriend and had gotten away with it for years, but he wasn't stupid enough to try anything in a room full of police officers. He also doubted that Steven even knew about the party, in spite of it being featured on the news. Still, he promised Monk that they'd take every precaution necessary to keep Natalie safe, and so he did what he could to secure the area.

While they were there, they were surprised when the Police Commissioner did a walk-through of the ballroom in order to check that everything had been properly set up and that there were enough chairs at his and the mayor's table for that evening. After talking with Chief Jay Suskine, in whose district the event was being held, he signed off on a few final orders and then began walking towards the door with his Chief of Staff Barry Levine. Looking up, he noticed Stottlemeyer and Disher from across the room, then nodded for Levine to go on out in the hallway where he would meet him in a few minutes before heading back to the office together. After Levine exited the room, he walked over to the commander.

"Leland, Randy. Good to see you. What on earth are you doing here so early?" he asked.

"Good afternoon, Commissioner. Randy and I were just doing a security check on the facility before the event tonight." Leland responded.

"Security? Shouldn't that be part of Suskine's jurisdiction? Is there an issue? Something I need to be aware of?" he responded.

Leland looked at Randy who answered the Commissioner. "Nothing for you to worry about, Commissioner. One of the guests tonight had an ex-boyfriend make a few threats against her, and we were just scoping out the venue to make sure that things were going to be safe for her to come."

"Safe? How much safer could one be than in a room full of cops?" The Commissioner responded. "Do I know this guest?"

Randy looked back at Leland who responded. "Yes, sir. It's Natalie Teeger, you know Adrian_"

"Monk's assistant," The Commissioner said, completing the sentence. "Yes. Pretty blonde woman. I remember her. Wasn't she the woman that I admonished you about back on the... Bonita Davis case?"

"Good memory, sir. Yes. And, I can assure you that, in accordance with your orders, she has not taken a lead role in any other crime investigations since that day. She is simply here as Monk's guest."

"I see." He paused. "Are she and Monk…you know?" the Commissioner asked, raising an eyebrow.

Leland smirked. If there was one thing that the Commissioner was known for aside from being a control freak, it was for being a notorious gossip. He was sure that the Commissioner and his wife would love the little tidbit that after over a decade of mourning his late wife, Adrian Monk was opening up his life to another woman, but he wished to protect his friend's budding relationship from any sort of societal chatter. "Uh…it's complicated," was therefore all that Leland would tell him.

"Complicated? I see." the Commissioner mumbled, clearly disappointed that he wasn't going to get much of a scoop. "Well, I don't think that I need to tell you, Leland, that tonight is very important. I know Monk is being honored, which is something that I am personally pleased with. But, the Mayor is also here and the last thing we want is a scene. If Ms. Teeger's..._complicated _status is a threat to the peace of this evening, then..."

"Sir, Natalie is fine. And, we have the other issue well in hand. We promise that there won't be any issues that we won't handle." Leland replied, before the Commissioner could say more.

The Commissioner looked at Randy to gauge his reaction and then back at Leland. "Fine. See to it that you keep it 'well in hand.' If there would happen to be any disruption to this evening, I promise that I will hold the both of you personally responsible for any damage which is caused. Capisce?"

"Yes sir. We understand," Leland replied and Randy did the same.

* * *

T.K. was much better about Leland's duties as a cop than Karen ever had been, but she wasn't happy that on an evening that was supposed to be all about fun and togetherness and honoring his longtime friend, Leland carried his gun with him. In fact, both he and Randy were wearing their service pistols when they arrived at the venue that night. He'd sat T.K. down and explained it to her, if there was even the slightest chance Albright would show up and hurt Natalie, they wanted to be prepared. T.K. only made him promise to be careful, something he and Randy had every intention of doing.

.

The Stottlemeyers and the Dishers were sitting at their reserved table in a quieter area of the ballroom, waiting for Monk and Natalie. Randy kept insisting that Monk wouldn't show, despite the fact they were giving him an award. After all, he was deathly afraid of crowds, people _and_ public speaking. Leland knew from T.K. how much the evening meant to Natalie and chose to have faith in his friend. It wouldn't be the first time Leland had put himself on the line for Monk and it wouldn't be the last. Monk always came through for him in the end.

The four were chatting amongst themselves, Leland with his arm on the back of T.K.'s chair to better be able to watch all areas of the large room, when T.K. nudged her husband's arm and nodded towards the grand entrance, a wide smile on her face. He and Randy instinctively turned to look to where she pointed. Leland blinked to make sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing, and when T.K. nudged his arm again, her eyes misty with tears, he knew she had seen it too. There, Monk and Natalie were in the entrance-way. Monk was without his wheelchair for the first time in months. He had his cane and he was holding tightly to Natalie's hand, but he was standing, and he was walking.

"Good for you, buddy," Leland murmured as Monk and Natalie slowly made their way to the table. They had chosen this table specifically because not only was it out of the way of the high-traffic areas, but it was closer to the main entrance. He chuckled and, before Monk and Natalie arrived at the table, made the pay-up motion to Randy.

Meanwhile, Randy's mouth gaped as soon as he saw Monk, not because their friend was walking, but because he was out fifty bucks thanks to Monk showing up. He didn't hear Sharona snapping at him to "_shut your mouth - you look like a fish!_" nor did he see Leland motioning for him to hurry it up before Monk saw what they were doing. Nevertheless, he reluctantly took two twenties and a ten dollar bill out of his wallet and threw them on Leland and T.K.'s side of the table.

"Freakin' Monk," Randy muttered unhappily.

Leland grinned and, sneaking a glance at his clearly-disapproving wife, quickly collected the money and slipped the folded bills inside his suit jacket before T.K. said anything.

Sharona, luckily for T.K. and unluckily for Leland, had no such reservations about providing commentary on what looked to be the resolution of a bet. "The two of you highly decorated officers of the law bet money on whether or not Adrian would show up when they're giving him an award?"

"Leland, that's awful," T.K. admonished her husband. "He's your best friend!"

"Let me guess: Leland said yes, and Randy said no?" Sharona asked.

"That would make the most sense," Adrian's voice interrupted them mid-conversation as the last two people of their six-person group arrived at the table.

Right away, Sharona stood and pulled out the chair next to Randy for Adrian and Randy did the same for Natalie. At the same time Leland flagged down a waiter and put in their drink orders - a bottle of Summit Creek water for Monk and a glass of wine for Natalie. Adrian steadied his cane against the wall behind his chair and sat down.

"Leland has faith in me and Randy doesn't," Monk observed.

Randy traced the edge of his beer glass with his finger and tried not to look at his wife staring at him. Sharona was scary when she was angry.

"I have faith in you, Monk," he said.

"Not like Leland does," Adrian retorted. "You thought I wouldn't come."

"Monk, you hate crowds!" he protested. "Crowds and people and any sort of extended social gathering like this. I mean, come on man, fear of crowds, isn't that still in the top ten on your phobia list?"

"It's the tenth, after heights and before elevators," Leland said. Randy slammed down his beer and glared at him.

Natalie looked helplessly at T.K. from across the table and T.K. spoke up next, a note of encouragement in her voice. "Lots of people are afraid of heights," she said kindly. "And if you're afraid of heights it makes sense why you would fear elevators." She looked pointedly at her husband. "The right thing to do, Leland, would be to give _him_ the money. Since you bet on him and he showed up."

Leland thought it best not to get on her bad side more than he already was. He sighed, pulling the folded bills out of his pocket and slid them across the table to Monk. Adrian immediately passed the money to Natalie and Natalie put the money in her purse.

"The most important thing, Randy, is that Monk and Natalie are here," Leland said. But he couldn't resist getting a little dig in. "The second-most important thing is that I knew he'd come and I was right, as usual. And you were wrong, as usual."

* * *

A minute later, Randy leaned in closer to Monk while Sharona was preoccupied with talking to the waiter and Leland was talking to T.K. The normally-jokester police captain looked legitimately sad at the idea that one of his closest friends didn't think he had faith in him. "Monk, uh, hey, can we talk sometime? Man-to-man?"

Adrian looked uncomfortable at the idea of a one-on-one conversation with Randy Disher, but Natalie's elbow nudged him in the side and she was looking at him like she wanted him to say yes.

"Sure...I - I guess so," Adrian said haltingly. "Maybe." Left unsaid was the amendment to that sentence: _as long as you don't laugh at me or make fun of me_.

Randy took another sip of his beer. He knew that he and Monk weren't as close as the commander and Monk were. He'd always known that. But did Monk really think so little of him that he assumed Randy would only ever make dumb jokes, sometimes at his expense? Clearly, he did. Randy had to fix that, somehow.

* * *

The conversation soon got back on track when the first round of appetizers went around and inevitably it went in the direction of Monk's recovery and his newest accomplishment of being able to walk short distances with only the cane as support. Natalie's pride was unmistakable when she relayed what the doctor had told Adrian at his last appointment - that he was hopeful that before Christmas Adrian would be rid of the cane for good. Adrian blushed at Natalie's praise and Leland tipped his beer towards his friend in a congratulatory gesture. After only a moment of hesitation, Randy did the same.

* * *

After a short time of welcome by the Mayor, and a brief moment of recognition towards Monk for his decades of service to the city, the six settled into their positions and continued to talk about anything and everything _but_ Steven Albright. Natalie warned them the first time Leland tried to bring it up that the topic was very, very off-limits, however he did manage to let them know about the Commissioner's warning, before the topic was shut down. And, knowing the fact that the man had a reputation of summarily firing anyone that had in any way not lived up to his own narrow expectations, they each made a pact that if Albright were to show up, they would do everything within their power to restrain themselves from trying to take him out - unless, of course, they felt that Natalie or anyone else were in danger.

As the evening continued, Randy's eyebrows rose in amazement as he watched Monk initiate conversation (he held his own in a conversation with Leland and Randy about sports, for heaven's sake). He actually seemed to be almost having fun, or whatever Monk's version of fun was. Disher watched in wonder at how Monk was eating food directly off of Natalie's plate and even witnessed him eat food that was touching. Monk hadn't asked Natalie for a wipe all evening and they had been at the Ball for almost an hour. Thoughts of Steven Albright diminished, and the six friends were having a good time.

It was a shame the good time couldn't last.

* * *

Natalie and T.K. were on their second glasses of wine and Sharona, her third, while Leland was describing the struggles of reconnecting with his son and being the primary parent again when he hadn't had full-time custody of his boys since his divorce from Karen. T.K added her own opinions every now and then but was content to let him talk. In fact, all seemed to be going well until Natalie felt the unsettling sensation that she was being watched. She couldn't explain how she knew it, but she knew - Steven was there.

She must have squeezed Adrian's hand tightly because he flinched.

"Natalie?" he immediately asked, with urgency in his voice. The concern in his voice got T.K.'s attention and she touched Leland's arm to stop him from talking. Even Randy set down his beer. "Natalie, what's wrong?" Monk asked.

She was shocked to hear her own voice shaking. She'd spent so much time trying to convince Adrian, Leland and T.K. that they were overreacting, and everything would be fine, that there was no way Steven would come here, that she hadn't convinced the most important person: herself.

"Remember how I kept telling you that there's no way Steven would be stupid enough to show up here given what we know about Caroline?" she asked.

Instantly, Leland, Randy and Adrian turned around in their chairs and Sharona and T.K. both saw how their husband's hands reflexively went to their service weapons.

"Natalie, I don't see anything," Leland finally said. "Randy and I can go do a sweep of the perimeter outside, but I really don't think…"

Natalie picked up her wine glass and drank it all, and then, after finding it empty, drank the rest of T.K.'s alongside it. "I don't know how he's here, but he's here. I don't even know how I _know_, but he's here!"

Adrian scooted his chair closer to her and handed her the last half of his bottle of Summit Creek water. "Drink it," he ordered gently, and she obediently unscrewed the bottle-cap and took a drink, and tried to calm down. After a few moments, the feeling passed. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or perhaps a false alarm, but a little of her edginess began to subside.

* * *

Natalie remained on alert even as she did her best to enjoy her time with her friends and her _significant other (s_he didn't know exactly what Adrian was to her right now, but after tonight she was determined to talk to him and find out). Adrian's hand never strayed too far from her knee, or even her thigh, and the constant physical contact was just what she needed to reassure her, both of her relationship with him and of her safety. _If_ somehow Steven had found out that she'd talked to Caroline and knew about the restraining order, she didn't even want to _think_ about what he would do. So, it was comforting to know that if there would happen to be trouble, Adrian, along with their friends, would protect her.

Another hour had passed and appetizers had come and gone. The Stottlemeyers were just returning to the table after T.K. had convinced Leland to dance with her and Natalie's nerves finally began to settle down again. She thought that everything would be alright. That was, until she heard footsteps and felt someone attempting to squeeze behind her chair. As she scooted her chair towards the table, she saw the thunderous look of anger on Leland Stottlemeyer's face and the stricken look on T.K.'s. Soon a pair of hands covered her eyes and an open-mouthed kiss was being pressed forcefully against her neck as Steven Albright's eerie voice spoke right into her ear.

"Hello, my Natalie. So good to see you again." he murmured, pressing his mouth to her neck again, forcefully using his hands to hold her shoulders in place so she couldn't escape. "My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail."

"She doesn't want to be touched, Albright." Leland was the first to speak and acknowledge Steven's presence and there was absolutely no mistaking that he was no longer Leland Stottlemeyer their friend but he was in full police-commander mode. His hand went for his holster under his jacket. "Step back from the lady. Nice and slow." Albright stood up, but did not move away.

Leland stood behind T.K.'s chair to protect her and Randy pulled Sharona's chair closer to his own. Monk attempted to do the same for Natalie, but before he could, Steven easily stomped his foot in between Monk's chair and Natalie's. Steven's hands still remained on Natalie's shoulders and she stared straight ahead. Leland could see the frightened look upon her face and how her eyes were already brimming with tears. He nodded towards Randy and Randy stood.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Captain Disher," Stottlemeyer said. "but aren't these SFPD shindigs invite-only?"

Albright furrowed his brow in obvious confusion and nodded his head towards the women at the table. "_They_ aren't cops." He smirked. "If they were I might not have minded getting pulled over for traffic tickets last month." He took away one hand from Natalie's shoulder and held it out to T.K. "I don't believe we've met. I surely would have remembered you if we have. I'm Steven Albright, and you are?"

Leland's hand remained on his gun and if they weren't in a room full of police officers he would have been happy to shoot Albright right there not only for what he did to Caroline Shelton and how he was now terrorizing Natalie, but how he had spoken to T.K.

"She's my wife," Leland said. His tone was clipped, measured, and T.K. instinctively got up from her chair to stand beside him. "You don't talk to her, you don't think about her, and you need to leave now before I change my mind and have you arrested."

At that moment, there was a flicker of recognition and something else in Albright's expression. Leland was sure it wasn't good, whatever it was.

"Ah, spouses and significant others are invited," Albright said. "That works out nicely for me, I think, because it's only a matter of time before I'm Natalie's husband."

Adrian bristled at the remark, rolling his neck, but tried to keep control of his own notorious temper. He reached out his hand and again attempted to pull Natalie's chair closer to himself, but Steven's foot wedged even further between the chairs and Albright reached out and shoved the side of Monk's chair. Randy immediately put his hand on the back of Monk's chair to steady it, and Natalie's frantic voice was loud enough for the entire table and even the table closest to them to hear.

"Don't you dare touch him! He hasn't done anything to you!" she said, angrily.

"Of course not, Nat. Why would I want to touch Monk? It wouldn't even be a fair match."

He smirked again, then grabbed Natalie's arm and pulled her forcefully out into the aisle. "Dance with me."

He dragged her to the dance floor, Natalie looking back desperately to all of them but especially to Adrian. T.K. fumed when Natalie stumbled at the force of Steven's actions and how it caused Steven to be more aggressive with her.

"Leland, do something," T.K. said urgently, her concerned eyes never leaving the dance floor or Natalie. "Get him escorted out, arrest him, I don't care. He's scaring Natalie! Help her!"

Leland, Randy, and Adrian watched as Steven took Natalie in his arms and forced her to dance. He placed his arms possessively around her waist and his hands wandered too close to places they weren't supposed to go. The commander's eyes narrowed. If he thought it would be as easy as going out on the dance floor himself and replacing Steven as Natalie's partner, he would have done so in a heartbeat. And, without even looking at his lead police captain, he knew Randy Disher was thinking the same thing. What held both men back was the common concern that anything they did could make the situation worse and more volatile. There was no guessing what Albright was capable of doing, and in a room full of cops, there was too much potential for gunfire. They didn't want Natalie, or anyone else, to be caught in the line of fire of a police shoot-out. So, for now, they would wait until the dance was over, and proceed from there.

Sharona turned her chair toward the dance floor and leaned in towards her husband. "Do you want me to go out there and try to bring Natalie back to the table?"

Randy looked at Leland and Leland shook his head no. Randy sighed and then smiled for Sharona's sake. "Leland and I are keeping an eye on him and if Steven gets worse we'll intervene."

Then he whispered to Leland. "You or T.K. might want to talk to Monk."

As they looked over at Monk, he was watching the action on the dance floor with an angry look on his face, his left hand gripping his water bottle so tightly none of them had any questions about what he would rather have his hands around at the moment. The Commander motioned for Sharona to take his seat next to T.K. and for Randy to take Sharona's so he could sit next to his friend. T.K. touched her husband's arm and whispered _good luck_, then focused her attention back on the dance floor where Steven and Natalie were still dancing.

Sharona was now next to T.K., no doubt thinking the same things she was: how they both would love to have just five minutes alone with Steven Albright. The whole thing bothered her, but it took a few seconds for Sharona to realize why. Aside from Natalie's obvious desire to be_ anywhere_ but dancing with Albright, Adrian, who had been so happy all evening, had barely spoken since Steven arrived and hadn't said a word to any of them since Albright forced Natalie to go dance. By the way he was reacting and the way he was watching the dance floor with such focus and fierce anger, it became clear to her that Adrian and Natalie's relationship went far beyond the typical employer/employee relationship or even friendship. If Sharona didn't know better, she would swear to it that Adrian had feelings for Natalie Teeger.

T.K. knew exactly what Sharona was thinking. Over the last year and a half of being married to Leland, the woman had picked up some detective skills of her own and was very perceptive. She nudged Sharona's arm, carefully putting a finger to her lips and nodded an almost imperceptible nod. Sharona's eyes lit up and her mouth dropped open with a slight smile which faded into worry as she looked at her former boss. T.K. motioned across the table to let Leland handle it, for now.

* * *

Next to Monk, Leland's authoritative voice was low, but filled with concern and empathy when he spoke to his longtime friend. Adrian was now entirely facing the dance floor and hadn't allowed his eyes to stray from _his_ Natalie since Albright took her away.

"He's being a bit aggressive but he's not hurting her," Leland assured Monk. "One dance and she'll be back. Trust us, Randy and I will handle it if he tries for anything more."

Monk's left hand was white as he gripped his water bottle. "She doesn't want to be out there with him. Why aren't you helping her?"

Somehow, the avoidance of an escalating scene and the ire of the Commissioner did not sound like good excuses at the time, so Leland tried to think of something to distract Monk, even for a moment. Of course, he and Randy would intervene in a second if things got worse, but for now he thought it was best to put up with Steven for one dance and then send him on his way. With their knowledge of the situation with Caroline, Leland and Randy would see to it personally that Albright stayed far away from Natalie and Monk after tonight.

"Did you know that T.K. had to take Natalie to three different stores to find that dress she has on?" Leland asked.

"Natalie looks beautiful," Adrian whispered under his breath, his eyes still facing the dance floor. Finally looking at Leland, Monk furrowed his brow in confusion. "Natalie told Julie she'd had that dress hanging on the back of her bedroom door for a week."

"Nope. T.K. helped her find it yesterday. She said Natalie kept finding things wrong with all the other dresses and that she wanted to look especially nice tonight." Leland answered, to Adrian's surprise. When Monk looked blank for more than a few seconds, Leland decided he wasn't going to wait for the penny to drop for his friend. "She wanted to look nice for you, Monk."

Monk was silent for so long Leland wasn't sure he had acknowledged his statement or even would acknowledge it; but he was taken aback at what Monk said next.

"I almost kissed her, you know," Adrian murmured. "Three times, actually. Once in the hospital, once today and once after you left the house that day that…you know, Steven."

From T.K.'s comments, Stottlemeyer knew that his friends had almost kissed on Adrian's last day in the hospital; however, Monk had never admitted it to him, much less told him that it had happened more than once, so he was surprised when he was that forthright with what had happened. Leland side-stepped the minefield of what a momentous event it was that Monk admitted to having even entertained the idea of kissing any woman, much less Natalie, knowing this wasn't the time or place to deal with _that_ conversation.

He looked at Monk and smirked at the revelation. "Why didn't you? And don't give me anything about Trudy."

Adrian's facial expression exuded a level of frustration. "Well…in the hospital, the nurse walked in on us. And then, at home, Julie interrupted both times."

Leland barked out a single laugh. "Welcome to sharing a house with teenagers, buddy. I'm pretty sure all the teens have meetings with each other and make plans on how to interrupt any action."

Monk made a face and Leland instantly wished he'd retracted his last statement. Adrian was getting better, no question, and was growing in so many ways; but, Leland knew he still had to be on guard for what kind of statements and jokes he made around him. It wasn't until Leland followed Monk's gaze to the dance floor that he knew that his joke wasn't at all what Monk had reacted to.

Steven had pulled Natalie toward him and was holding her tightly against his body. He physically grabbed the back of her head, pressing her face to his for a kiss. As she struggled to break loose, he held her even tighter forcing her face back to look at him. When he saw that her first instinct was to look for Adrian, he kissed her again, long and hard, her protests muffled against his mouth. He released her, but his hands gripped her upper arms tightly. "Bet he doesn't kiss you like that, does he?" He smirked and ran a finger down Natalie's cheek. Natalie sniffled and a solitary tear escaped her eyes trailing down her cheek. "I know he doesn't make you feel the way I make you feel."

Randy once again stood from his chair and was set to go out on the dance floor and rescue Natalie and de-escalate the rapidly escalating situation. Leland stood as well, barely hearing his wife's objection, looking like it took everything inside of him to not shoot the man dead where he stood. Monk's eyes never left the dance floor or Natalie or Steven, his eyes blazing with a seething anger.

Back on the dance floor Steven's eyes gleamed with an emotion Natalie didn't like. She didn't like the way he was looking at her at all and she wished more than anything that Adrian or Leland or even Randy would come and take Steven away.

"Oh, Natalie," he crooned, holding her even tighter in his arms and pressing a hard kiss to her mouth. "I wish you'd stop fighting me. You're acting like you have a choice and really, you don't. You're going to make up an excuse to quit your job so you don't have to spend any time with that whack job Adrian Monk. You're going to be my wife, Natalie. We're going to be married by Christmas and by this time next year, you're going to be the mother of my child." Natalie struggled to escape his embrace, but he pinched her arm in such a way that she stopped fighting him. "That's my girl," he murmured. "We are going to have a good life, Natalie, you'll see. You, me, Julie, and our three children."

Natalie stared at her ex-boyfriend in horror as he sounded more and more deranged the longer he talked. He was dangerous, he was insane, and she was in a room of police officers (three of whom were her good friends) but felt so utterly alone.

Monk, meanwhile, had seen enough, the commissioner and the threat to Leland and Randy's jobs forgotten. He would see to it that Leland and Randy got their jobs back if it came to that. But he had promised Natalie that he would protect her and so far he hadn't been doing that. They'd all allowed Albright to force his kisses on her and take her somewhere she didn't want to be. More importantly, he'd allowed Albright to take his Natalie away from him. Monk knew what he had to do and put both of his hands on the table to brace himself. This was harder than standing from the wheelchair because he didn't have the armrests to use as leverage. He locked eyes with Leland and made himself clear that this was an order, not a request. "Help me up, Leland. Now."

Conversation stopped at the table. Four pairs of shocked eyes looked at Monk and T.K. looked worriedly at her husband from across the table. She had a very bad feeling about this. Leland, for his part, immediately put his hand on Monk's shoulder to settle him and provide his friend with the emotional and physical support he needed. "I know, buddy, but you have our word that Steven isn't leaving here with Natalie and we will draft a restraining order. I'll get it pushed through to the judge as soon as we can. Stay here and let us handle it."

"Like hell I'm staying here," Monk's voice was low and threatening, resolute in the implication of what he would do to Steven if he dared to touch his Natalie again. "You know me better than that. Natalie needs me, Leland. I've failed her so far tonight and I will be darned if I fail her now. Help me stand up and get me my cane." Monk looked beseechingly at his longtime friend. "If it was T.K. in trouble, you wouldn't care about anything that would happen to you. I know you. You'd do anything, go as far as she needed you to go to help her. How you feel about T.K., that's how I feel about Natalie." He attempted to bring himself to a standing position on his own, but wasn't strong enough yet. "Help me up."

T.K. did her best to intervene. "Adrian, I know how badly you want to help and believe me Natalie appreciates it more than you know, but, please, let Leland and Randy handle this. You can't -"

Adrian slammed his hand on the table and narrowed his eyes in T.K.'s direction. "You can get through to him. _**Tell your husband**_ to help me stand up and one of you get me my cane!" His voice steadily rose in volume. "I'm not going to ask him again!"

Leland was so surprised Monk had just admitted his feelings for Natalie in front of their friends - luckily, Randy and Sharona looked too stunned at Monk's aggressiveness they didn't seem to have noticed - that he didn't even admonish Monk for the way he'd spoken to his wife. The entire table watched silently as Leland stood first and put his arm out for Monk. Adrian reached for Leland's outstretched arm and used it as leverage to pull himself to a fully-standing position, with Leland standing close for support. The commander quickly took Monk's cane from Randy and handed it to his friend. Monk took the cane gratefully, nodding to Leland in thanks, and began to walk away from the table.

Sharona hurried to speak before Adrian got too far away from them. "Adrian, what do you think you're doing?!"

Adrian turned to look back at the table, his expression neutral but his manner of speaking as self-assured and as confident as Leland had heard his friend in years. "Protecting Natalie. Getting Steven Albright away from her. And then -" he looked at Leland and then back at the dance floor. "And then, if my Natalie wants to dance after all of that, she's going to dance with me."


	31. The Surrender

Monk walked to the music booth as quickly as his still-weakened legs could manage and spoke quietly to the DJ. He hadn't planned for the declaration of his feelings to Natalie to go exactly this way, but Steven Albright had forced his hand, even as he forced Natalie to dance. The distress of this situation was written all over her face, and Adrian made it a personal goal to change that look altogether. Hopefully, by the end of the night Natalie would only have good memories about what had happened here.

After leaving the DJ, he walked a few feet and then handed his cane to an unsuspecting stranger, instructing the man to return it to Commander Stottlemeyer or Captain Disher. He stood up straight, adjusting his jacket and tie, and stepped confidently onto the dance floor in search of his Natalie. Most of the police officers under Leland and Randy's command knew of the jewelry store explosion and how Adrian Monk had cheated death, but looking at him now they never would have guessed that only four months ago his injuries were so extreme that it was debatable as to whether he would ever walk again.

* * *

From her position at the table, T.K. tapped her foot on the floor and watched anxiously. She'd seen Adrian leave his cane with someone and knew he couldn't walk for long without it. Leland's arm draped was over the back of her chair but his quiet assurances that Adrian would be fine, for however long it took to get Albright away from Natalie, didn't convince her. In spite of the adrenaline pumping through his system propelling Monkforward, her intuition told her something bad was going to happen.

The song that was playing came to an end and Adrian watched as Albright tugged Natalie back into his arms when she tried to break free. Monk saw Natalie look back to their table, presumably to look for him, and his heart jumped to action as he saw the look on her face when she saw his empty chair. Albright pressed himself against Natalie and moved his hand up and down her body, his other hand holding her wrist in such a manner that it would likely leave a bruise. He kissed her and smirked as she tried her best, once again, to get away from him.

"Now is that becoming of a navy wife, Mrs. Albright? Don't walk away from me, sweetheart, we're not finished yet," Steven said, leering at her with a domineering stare.

"Oh, yes, you are," came a forceful voice from behind Albright.

As Steven moved to the side, Natalie nearly cried at what she saw. There was Adrian, standing tall and strong, his cane nowhere in sight. He looked confident. He looked determined. He looked furious.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat as Monk's piercing brown eyes bore into Albright and he spoke quietly, firmly, and with a steely resolve that Adrian rarely used in his personal life, but used often with suspects and criminals.

"Get your hands off of Natalie. **Now**," he ordered, his voice low. It was still in the back of his mind that the commissioner threatened Leland and Randy's jobs if they caused a scene, but Adrian wouldn't hold back if Steven provoked him or tried to go anywhere with Natalie. Leland would understand. "She doesn't want you."

Steven laughed. "Surely you don't think she wants you? How messed up in the head are you?"

Adrian rolled his neck and looked to Natalie for the calming reassurance that she always brought to him. Unfortunately, it was that split-second of movement that gave Steven the advantage he needed, and he let go of Natalie to use both of his hands to push Monk backwards. Witnessing this from across the room, Leland glanced at Randy and they both stood and headed for the dance floor.

Adrian wobbled but stayed upright, planting his feet firmly on the floor with enough distance between them to keep his balance if Albright were to push him again. Natalie reached for Adrian, but Albright held her against himself, both of his arms around her waist. He smirked again at the impact his simple push on Monk had. _Adrian Monk was as weak physically as he always was mentally. This was going to be easy,_ he thought.

"I mean, seriously, man, they call you the defective detective. Didn't one of your cop friends even call you that once?" Steven sneered. "No. That's not right. I have a better one. Maybe now, they should all call you Natalie's Private Di - "

Before Steven could finish, Monk grabbed Albright's free hand and twisted it forcefully backwards using a specific maneuver Leland taught him during their early days on the force. Seeing this, the commander and his lead captain stopped and reassessed the situation. They then looked at each other, nodded, and headed back to the table, confident Monk had it under control.

Steven muttered some choice words under his breath and tried to shake Adrian's grip loose, but that only made Monk bend his hand back harder. Adrian's voice promised unpleasant things if Steven Albright were to continue attempting to fight him in this way.

"I'm not saying it a third time, Albright. Make it easy on yourself and leave now or I will personally have some of these very nice officers escort you out and give you a ride home."

Steven wrenched his hand away from Monk and massaged it, glaring at the former police officer. "And what if I don't? It's a public building, Monk."

Adrian stepped further into Albright's space until they were nose-to-nose.

"I'm sure you remember my two friends on the force. What you might not know is that both of them got promotions in the last year. Leland Stottlemeyer is the Commander of the San Francisco Police Department, and Randy Disher is his lead Captain. And, see, not only are they my friends but they are Natalie's friends also, and they don't take kindly to the idea of someone hurting her. I happen to know Commander Stottlemeyer is only waiting for the okay from Natalie to file a restraining order against you and we can get the judge to sign it tonight. I understand that you are somewhat familiar with restraining orders, Lieutenant Albright."

Albright took a step backwards. When he did, Adrian stepped forward, so they were the same distance apart as they were before.

"We know about Caroline and the restraining order she filed against you. Except this time...the restraining order Natalie files…? This time, it won't be covered up. We will make sure that your command hears all about how you spent your offshore excursion stalking your ex-girlfriend, refusing to take _no _for an answer when she rejected your romantic advances, and showing up at the Policeman's Ball to assault a civilian in front of a room of police officers."

Adrian took hold of the lapels of Steven Albright's military uniform, brushing away some dust and straightening a crooked medallion - or at least that's what it looked like from a distance. He continued to talk.

"I think you would find being demoted to a lower rank and a loss in salary from the Navy would be much easier to live with than any charges the police might file." Adrian patted Albright's uniform and stepped back. "But that's just what I think. As you say, I am _the defective detective_. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't listen to me. Not many people do." Adrian's eyes then narrowed. "Of course, most of those people are in jail, now."

Steven glared at Monk, but ultimately released his desperate hold on Natalie. She scurried to Adrian's side and Adrian wrapped his arm around Natalie's waist protectively. Steven's watchful eyes burned with anger. "I suppose now you think you've won?"

"Natalie Teeger isn't a trophy to win," Adrian snapped, the tight stranglehold he had on his emotions rapidly evaporating the longer he talked with Albright. "Now, I must insist that you leave this dance floor and this ballroom. Unless, of course you would like me to call over the police."

Steven looked beyond the dance floor and saw the table that held Leland Stottlemeyer and Randy Disher. Both men stood ready for action. "Fine, Monk. I'm leaving. Now, what are you going to do?" he asked.

Adrian did not blink. "Simple. I'm going to dance with my girl, if you'll get out of the way!"

But then his tone softened as he turned and looked gently into Natalie's eyes. "That is...if she would allow me the pleasure."

Natalie brought one hand up to her mouth and her eyes became misty. Shaking her head yes, she watched as Adrian turned back to Steven with a fiery glare. Steven returned the glare with an equal fury and couldn't believe that Natalie was actually choosing Monk over him. Him, Steven Albright, decorated military man. He took a threatening step towards Monk and even Natalie but thought better of it when he remembered where he was. Taking a few deep breaths to control his blazing temper he silently sulked away from the dance floor.

* * *

After he had gone, Monk pivoted right and took one step towards the DJ. He made eye contact with the man, who nodded and then began pressing buttons. Adrian turned back around and faced Natalie, softly smiling as he did. Extending his hand to her, and with only the slightest limp, he then escorted her to the center of the dance floor as the music began.

The room grew quiet as Adrian placed his free hand on Natalie's waist and the strains of Celine Dion's _I Surrender _began to resonate throughout the hall around them. In that very moment, there was no one else. All other sights and sounds had disappeared into the background, and it was just the two of them. Together. Moving gracefully, to a music that seemed to express the very longings of Adrian Monk's heart, as nothing else could.

_There's so much life I've left to live, and this fire's burning still_  
_When I watch you look at me, I think I could find the will_

Natalie watched, mesmerized by the passion in his eyes, as he led her across the floor, never looking away from her for even a second lest he miss a single detail of his time spent with her. As the song continued, he pulled her closely to himself, placing his hand in the small of her back. Her lips slightly parted as she was apprehended by his gaze which was darkened with desire.

_To stand for every dream, and forsake this solid ground_  
_And give up this fear within, of what would happen if they ever knew_

He slowed down just a little, and her heart skipped a beat, her eyes brimming with tears as he mouthed the last words of the stanza - confessing his feelings to her for the very first time.

**_I'm in love with you._**

The orchestra crescendoed and the dance continued with increasing power and intensity as their bodies flowed as one to reverberating sounds of the music in the air and the music in their hearts.

_Cause I'd surrender everything  
To feel the chance to live again  
I reach to you  
I know you can feel it too  
We'd make it through_

_A thousand dreams I still believe  
I'd make you give them all to me  
I'd hold you in my arms and never let go  
I surrender_

From the side of the room their friends watched as one by one, other couples left the floor, deferring to this overt symphony of love unfolding before their eyes, giving them full attention.

T.K. took Leland's hand and began to cry – thrilled at birth of this great romance that up until now had only been a dream.

Leland could not have been more delighted. He had watched them for years and knew, even better than they themselves knew at times, that she was his answer. But he had so respected his friend of thirty years that he trusted he'd eventually see what was obvious even to a blind man. He kept his silence and supported him all of the time, and after nearly a decade of watching a sometimes-tempestuous tango of two souls destined to be together, he smiled in his understated way, and marveled, "Well, it's about time."

Monk and Natalie faced one another, gliding across the floor to a song that spoke from their souls.

_I know I can't survive, another night away from you  
You're the reason I go on, and now I need to live the truth_

Randy and Sharona watched also, stunned into silence, jointly wearing expressions of utter shock at the spectacle before them. _Adrian and Natalie? Natalie and Adrian?_ It was beyond comprehension.

_Right now, there's no better time from this fear I will break free  
And I'll live again with love. And no, they can't take that away from me_

And then there was Steven, standing angrily in the corner glaring, as the delusions of his mind were laid bare for all the world to see. He had thought, presumptuously, that he would just swoop in and take over where he had left off. He thought he could manipulate her in such a way that things could work out according to _his _plans. What he didn't realize until that very moment was his influence over her was non-existent. She had always been Adrian's. Forever and always. And there was no one who could stop it.

Three minutes into the song, Albright had seen enough. Ripping his program in two, he slammed it down on a table and put on his officer's hat – then stomped into the darkness. He had left just in time, for had he waited ten seconds more, he would see Monk twirl Natalie outward towards the center of the floor and then spin her back into himself with a snap, her back to his chest.

A rush coursed through Natalie's body when she felt Adrian slip his hand around her waist and draw her close to him. He nuzzled against her neck and hair, gently pressing his lips just behind her ear. Then, slowly, he turned her around, his gaze tracing from her lips to her eyes in silent wonder. Taking the back of his fingers, he brushed his hand over her chin and then traced her lips with his thumb. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and took his hand in hers, tenderly kissing the fingers of the man she loved. She released his hand and lowered her head, dissolving into him like cotton candy when its sweet fibers converge upon the inviting warmth of human lips. In that moment, she was his - every fiber of her being from her knees, now weakened by emotion, to her heart, exploding with desire. A moment longer, and they slowed to a stop. Though the music played on in a room full of people, they were aware of only two.

They stepped apart for just a second and their eyes met. Both of them swallowed and then both smiled a bashful smile. With a faltering step, Adrian moved in towards Natalie, and placed his hand, again, upon her face. As the world seemed to revolve around only them and this moment, he tilted his head, first to the left, then to the right, then to the left again and then he smiled. She smiled back and reached her hands up and placed them around his neck. Leaning in, their eyes closed and his lips pressed into hers, feather soft at first and slightly hesitant, but quickly building to an intense expression of two souls who had longed for love for so many years and had finally found it with each other. The touch, the warmth, the taste of their joining together in this way was a greater feeling than either of them had expected and it filled their bodies and minds with a sensation that was indescribably wonderful. After fifteen seconds, they briefly pulled apart, making sure that the other was okay with what had just happened, and with a smile in their eyes, they came back together and did it again.

The last verse of the song faded into the ending notes but neither Adrian nor Natalie paid attention to anything else in the ballroom but each other. They stood locked in each other's arms, her hands on his chest and his firm on her waist, and she sniffled quietly as he, her sweet, sweet Adrian, started apologizing to her for being so much a fool for so long that he didn't see her for what she was, a beautiful woman that he couldn't live without. His cheeks burned with embarrassment that he had ever said it to her face that she was just one of the guys. She was so much more to him than that.

"I love you, Natalie Jane," he whispered, taking her hands in his and kissing each of them tenderly. "I love you. Leland told me that I had to make a choice to be with you and I did. I made my choice and I'm in with you, my darling, I'm all in. I love you. Please stay with me...forever." Natalie instantly recognized his words from that night so long ago when she heard him talking in his sleep about her. Somehow, tonight, after everything that had just happened between them, how once again he'd bared his soul in front of her, they meant so much more.

Natalie's quiet sniffling soon gave way to tears streaming down her cheeks. He gently lifted his thumb to her cheek to wipe them away and whispered for her not to cry, he didn't like that. She half-laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Adrian Monk," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. "I've been in love with you for three years and not once did I ever dream that you would..." she squeezed her eyes closed to ward off the negative thoughts. The last few minutes of tonight had been absolutely perfect. "I'm all in, too. Of course I'll go with you, my love. I'll go with you anywhere you want to go."

She lifted her face from his shoulder, he tilted her chin with his fingers, and their lips met in their third official kiss.

* * *

They eventually had to stop the wonderful kiss when the need to breathe became an issue, but they stayed exactly where they were, neither daring to move. Neither one of them wanted to leave the dance floor and break the magical spell they were under. The last thing in the world Adrian wanted to do was go back to the table to their friends and be asked an entire lineup of interrogating questions, even if they were well-meaning.

The sounds of an up-tempo song jolted both of them back to reality and it was only then that Adrian realized that for the majority of the last few minutes he and Natalie had been the only ones on the dance floor and not only had their friends, but an entire room of police officers and their wives had seen him and Natalie share their first kiss. He looked towards the Mayor's table, and the Commissioner and his wife looked absolutely delighted, with smiles on their face, whispering into one another's ears.

Adrian ducked his head and pressed his forehead against Natalie's, kissing her once again. His multiple fears meant he should be feeling self-conscious about such a public display of affection and it was quite possible he would be mortified later once he had the chance to think more about it, but right now he didn't care. He loved Natalie. He loved her and that was such a monumental change in his life that he didn't care who knew about it. He was so drunk with happiness that not even the thought of Randy's endless questions, that were no doubt going to happen the minute they returned to their table, could dampen his spirits.

Natalie seemed to know what he was struggling with, as she always did, because she kissed him again and slipped her hand into his.

"You ready to go back?" she asked him quietly.

He nodded bashfully and smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist as they headed back to their table.

Leland and Sharona both stood and changed seats so the two outermost chairs at the table were free and Adrian wouldn't have to walk one step more than he absolutely had to, but he didn't notice or care. Leland smirked as even from where he sat, he could see how his longtime friend only had eyes for Natalie.

There was complete silence as Adrian and Natalie arrived at the table and took their seats. Natalie ducked her head from T.K.'s incredulous gaze and took a sip of the nearest wine glass she could find, and likewise Adrian slowly and methodically unscrewed the cap from his water bottle and took a significant drink. Leland stayed silent and gave his friend a minute to recalibrate and focus.

Sharona shared no such concern for Adrian's sensibilities and nudged her former boss in the shoulder. "Um…what in the world was that out there, Adrian? And why are Randy and I the last to know that you and Natalie had feelings for one another?"

The four friends saw Adrian blush and noted how he and Natalie were still holding hands.

Randy turned an accusing glare towards the commander. "You knew about this!" Randy didn't wait for an answer and balled up his napkin to toss it across the table at Leland, looking down in shame when the napkin-shot missed and hit T.K. instead. "You knew Monk and Natalie were involved and you didn't tell me? What kind of friend are you?!"

Sharona, fully displeased with Adrian's silence and Natalie's too, scooted her chair closer to Adrian. "Spill it, Adrian!" she ordered him, the bossy voice she knew he hated on full display. "How long has this been going on and what possessed you to dance with her in a room full of people including your best friends that you knew would have very opinionated opinions about this?!"

Monk grinned. "Well, Sharona, it's like this…" He shifted in his chair only slightly to make himself more comfortable and took in a deep breath and turned to Natalie. Suddenly, he grimaced. Grabbing his left thigh and contorting his face he exclaimed, "Oh! Gosh! My leg! Leg cramp! Leg cramp! Owwwww. Oh! My leg!"

Natalie's eyes widened in panic and she looked up towards Sharona and T.K, unsure of what to do.

While Monk continued to wince, he said urgently, "Natalie, did you bring any of my pain pills with you? My leg…I…I… I think I overdid things out there." He reached down and rubbed his thigh, trying to massage the muscles.

Natalie opened her handbag and realized immediately that she hadn't brought any of his medicine.

"No, Adrian. I'm sorry. I don't have anything. Does it hurt bad?"

He looked at her, even as he held his leg, and shook his head. The strain was written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I should leave and go home. Natalie, where did you put my wheelchair? I know you brought it even though I told you not to."

Sharona's nursing training kicked in and she ordered Randy to go with Natalie to retrieve Adrian's wheelchair. "Oh, I knew it," she fretted. "T.K. and I knew you were doing too much for Natalie's sake and you'd hurt yourself."

Randy and Natalie returned with the wheelchair within minutes and unfolded it to get ready, Sharona watched her husband carefully to make sure he properly locked the wheels. Leland came around the table and held out his arm to help Monk to stand and while the others were busy with either the wheelchair or collecting Monk and Natalie's things, Monk looked Leland directly in the eye and winked. Leland had to concentrate hard not to laugh out loud, merely getting closer to his friend so only Monk could hear what he was going to say.

"You little devil," the commander muttered under his breath. Monk merely glanced towards Natalie and Leland understood.

* * *

Natalie's hand stayed on Adrian's left leg from the moment they left the Policeman's Ball all the way until they were ten minutes from home and her mind raced with everything that could go wrong now with his recovery when he was doing so well and had worked so hard for so long.

Dancing with him, the feeling of complete security and love and rightness she felt when she was in his arms, and the way he kissed her in front of their friends (oh, that kiss!), was indescribable way to end a night that could have gone very badly. But it could have waited. She wouldn't forgive herself, not for a very long time, if her boyfriend (was Adrian Monk her boyfriend now?) set his recovery back because of her- because he was determined to give her a memory she wouldn't soon forget.

She looked nervously at him as often as she could and asked him how he was feeling every single minute, to the degree she saw his expression change as he shut down and decided to let her get it all out.

"Adrian, I loved dancing with you and I'll never forget how you rescued me from Steven, but - honey, you did too much and now you've hurt yourself. If you've set yourself back and won't be able to get rid of the cane by Christmas because of me -"

"Natalie," he interrupted her. "Natalie, listen to me."

"Don't worry, we'll be home in a few minutes and you can sit down and I'll get you a pain pill and some ice for that leg. Or maybe the heating pad is what you need. I - I'm not really sure, but I'll call Sharona and ask."

"Natalie!" he interrupted her again, urgently. He couldn't take one more moment of her thinking she had done something wrong. Even if both of his legs were sore, which they weren't…much…he would have done it all over again to protect her from Steven. He also had no regrets about his dance with his Natalie and the fact that they had kissed for the very first time. Any momentary soreness or pain had been worth it all. "Natalie, please, please, pull over."

Natalie immediately turned into the nearest driveway she could find and hurriedly put the car in park, her hands already reaching for her phone to call Leland to tell him where they were going. She stammered out yet another apology for hurting him. "You need to go back to the hospital, don't you? You're in pain and you've hurt yourself."

"Natalie," he laughed, a half-smile on his face. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine! You just told me to pull over and you said please! Twice!"

His eyes crinkled with laughter and he shook his head. "Natalie. Darling. I just told everyone my leg was sore because it was a believable excuse to get us out of there. Leland and Randy can always bring me my award in a few days."

Natalie looked at him confused. "You mean you're not hurt?"

He smiled. "No."

"You...just said you were?"

"Yes, Natalie. I did."

"But, why would you...?"

Natalie's heart started to beat faster when she saw the look in his expressive brown eyes and she knew why he who rarely told untruths had publicly lied to all of his friends and didn't feel guilty about it. Even if she hadn't known before, she knew the second he unbuckled his seat belt and leaned across the seat - when he took her face in his hands and kissed both of her cheeks before covering her mouth in a long, passionate kiss.

Breaking the kiss, he leaned back and looked into her eyes. He traced her jawline tenderly with his finger and grinned in self-satisfaction, pressing a light kiss to her nose, when she looked at him with a half-dazed expression and her hands now held firm to his jacket.

"Uh…"

His response was only to kiss her again and soon she started to whimper his name. Her grip on his jacket got tighter as she pulled him closer. She whined in protest when he pulled away.

"Home," was all she would say, instructing him to put his seat belt back on, behave himself, and they would be home in a few minutes. His hand immediately reached across the console and settled on her knee. She reiterated. "I - I think we need to go home if we want to do any more of that."

Adrian grinned at how disheveled Natalie looked all of a sudden and how she couldn't quite meet his gaze when he tried to look at her. "You think so?" he asked, sinking down into his seat with a playful grin on his face.

Natalie bit down on her lower lip, looking at him with barely-concealed desire for more of that kissing. "Most definitely."

As they made their way through the city and to her house, he decided not to comment on how she drove through three red lights and broke at least four traffic laws along the way.


	32. The Showdown

Leland and T.K. finally made it home to an empty house sometime after nine-thirty that evening. Right away, he put his keys on the hook by the front door, his phone on the kitchen table and headed to the lock-box to lock up his service pistol. T.K. went upstairs to change out of her party dress and into something more comfortable.

For the first time since his youngest son had moved in with him and T.K., Leland was looking forward to a night completely alone with his wife. Max had asked to go to his mother's that weekend and Leland was more than happy to oblige. Both Stottlemeyers had experienced a stressful week, especially with everything they had learned about Steven Albright and the complications this knowledge had presented. For T.K., it had dredged up memories she had spent twenty years trying to forget - memories that to this point in time, she was unwilling to discuss with her husband. And, for Leland, it created multiple challenges. First, he struggled with how he might comfort a wife who had awakened him several nights that week by crying in her sleep. And second, he struggled with how to tell his best friend of thirty years that there was a potential danger directed towards the first woman that Monk had truly loved in nearly fourteen years. While the latter case resolved itself somewhat better than Leland had expected, it had still been exhausting, both physically and emotionally; and, after everything that had happened at the Policeman's Ball that evening, all the Stottlemeyers wanted to do was forget about everything and spend the rest of the night at home, together. They would deal with Steven Albright in the morning.

As he pulled down the lock-box from the shelf and began to enter its combination, Leland recalled how Randy and Sharona had spent fifteen minutes after Monk and Natalie left the party shooting rapid-fire questions at himself and T.K. This alone had been enough for both Stottlemeyers to mutually agree to leave the party early. He'd get Monk's award for him later.

But one thing that surprised him was how shocked Randy had been at what had happened on the dance floor that night. Randy had been there with Monk and Natalie through the years, the same as Leland had been, and he'd seen the same things Leland had seen. He had witnessed firsthand how Natalie grieved Monk's faked-death when Sheriff Rollins had set him up, how absolutely devastated she had been and then how angry and relieved she was when she discovered the truth. He'd seen how faithful and devoted to Monk she'd been ever since - the trouble she went through to throw him the birthday party she felt he deserved, her self-sacrifice when Monk had been shot in the leg, her encouragement when he got his badge back, her unwavering loyalty and love shown when Ethan Rickover had him poisoned and they all thought it was the end. But it wasn't just Natalie's sacrifice for Monk that should have provided the clues as to the development of that relationship into something more. There was Monk's own sacrifices that Leland had noticed in recent years. Regardless what all-encompassing fear might assault his friend's mind and emotions, Monk seemed to push through them all if Natalie's life was on the line. And there was always an underling current in their relationship, even from its earliest days, to where Adrian would find himself doing things he would never have dreamed of doing simply because she had asked.

Yes, Monk was a one-woman man for so long and was so devoted to his late wife that Leland understood, in part, why Randy had been so hesitant to see the changes in Monk and Natalie's relationship, but for Randy to have not, even once, seen the spark between their best detective and his assistant was mind-boggling - especially taking into consideration everything that happened since the explosion. They had shared a bed in the hospital, at least once that Randy knew of. They stayed together in the hospital for over a month and he had spent the last three months recovering in her home. The lengths a wheelchair-bound Monk went to in order to recover the watch for Natalie - heck, even the trouble he went to and the sneaking around he had to do to design and order the watch in the first place – it all should have been a clue.

So the fact that Randy stood there that evening, after seeing Monk's reaction to all of Albright's unwanted attention on Natalie, and acted like a romantic relationship between Monk and Natalie was an entirely new revelation, made Stottlemeyer stop and rethink the proficiency of his lead captain's detective skills.

* * *

No sooner had Leland pulled the lock-box from the top shelf of the coat closet and placed his pistol inside, than he heard a blood-curdling scream coming from upstairs. He immediately dropped the lock-box and took the stairs two at a time in search of his wife. He found her in their bedroom, sitting on the edge of their bed, barefoot but still in her party clothes, with tears streaming down her face. Quickly, he raced to her side and crouched in front of her, asking her what was wrong. Stray tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"Susan, my contact from the newspaper..." she answered, her voice quavering, "...she called when we were at the party."

Leland held out his hand for her phone so he could play the message himself, knowing already that whatever her contact told her had upset her so badly she wasn't going to be able to tell him herself. T.K.'s hand shook as she handed her husband her phone, and he held her hand in comfort as he pressed play on the voicemail.

The worried and concerned voice of a woman filled the bedroom.

_"C'mon, T.K., answer your phone, it's important. I found where Caroline Shelton lived after she moved away from Galveston. One of her co-workers told me that she moved to San Antonio because, and I quote, 'she was afraid someone might find out what she had done and come back to punish her for it.' The friend said that when she left, she promised she would stay in touch. When they hadn't heard from her for a few weeks they too went looking for her. I'm afraid the news is not good. They didn't find her alive in San Antonio, they found her body. She showed signs of strangulation and I heard off-the-record from the coroner there were multiple sedatives in her system. They estimated that she had been dead a month before she was found and that puts her time of death four months ago, very soon after Caroline talked to your friend about staying away from Steven Albright. T.K., I don't know all what's going on here, but whatever you're trying to uncover, Steven Albright has worked twenty years to keep it a secret. Please, please be careful. Please tell your husband all of this and warn your friend - right now. And call me back as soon as you get this so I know you heard this and you're okay - no matter the time. I've got to go now, but if you need anything else let me know and I'll do anything I can to help -"_

The voicemail stopped. T.K. continued to cry. Leland pulled his wife to her feet and into a hug, promising her everything was going to be okay.

He looked down at the phone and immediately called Natalie's house phone to warn her. It rang ten times before he gave up and tried Natalie's cell phone. Ten rings on that line and Leland almost threw the phone across the room and only at the last second realized it was his wife's phone and he'd have to buy her a new one if he broke this one.

"Damn it, T.K., she isn't answering." he uttered in exasperation.

T.K. grabbed his arm. "Maybe they wanted to be alone," she offered, but they both knew she wasn't convinced. "I mean, they just mutually admitted their love for each other. That's a huge deal for them. When you and I want to be alone I turn off my phone."

Leland shook his head in frustration. "Normally I would agree with your intuition but she and Monk knew Julie was staying out until almost midnight. Natalie wouldn't ever turn off her cell phone and leave Julie without a way to get in touch with her. Monk hardly ever answers his phone so he's no help."

T.K. looked at him in surprise. "I didn't even know he had one."

"Exactly." Leland went to his closet and changed into the first pair of jeans and shirt he could find and left the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time and heading straight for the closet where he had left his weapon. T.K. followed him, her bare feet pitter-pattering on the floor.

"Keep calling Natalie for me." He said. "I have to go check on her."

T.K. desperately grabbed for his arm. "Leland Francis Stottlemeyer, you are not -"

Leland pressed his mouth to her forehead for a quick kiss. "You are staying here. We both know you can't come with me." He kissed her again to ward off any protest. "T.K., please. We know the last woman that tried to break up with Steven Albright is dead and now Natalie isn't answering her phone. That's more than enough probable cause for me. I will call you as soon as I can and tell you everything I know, I promise. Please don't worry."

T.K. hurried to the window to watch him race out of the driveway at a high speed. She knew it would take him at least twenty minutes to get to Natalie's house, if there were no traffic. She wished that Leland was wrong and that Natalie and Adrian were just taking advantage of time alone and an empty house, but - she'd learned to trust her own intuition over the years and she knew it as soon as Leland drove away that her earlier suggestion was wrong. Something bad was happening at Natalie's house and she prayed Leland would get there in time.

* * *

Natalie found herself pinned against her front door, which made it all the more difficult to search her handbag for her house keys. Not that she minded, not when Adrian was softly pressing a trail of kisses behind her ear, down her face, her mouth, her neck, her collarbone. So content was she to stand there on her front porch kissing him that she was completely oblivious to the sound of her cell phone ringing from the floorboard on her side of the car.

"Adrian," she said, airily. "Please, you have to stop for a minute."

He instantly looked up at her with a hurt expression, like he'd done something wrong so soon in their dating relationship. She hastened to assure him that he hadn't; that wasn't the reason at all. She felt for her keys at the bottom of her handbag and held them triumphantly in front of Adrian's face, and smiled.

"Found them." she said.

He smiled when she looked at him and responded by grasping her face in his hands again, giving her yet another kiss on the lips. When they pulled apart, Natalie suddenly struggled for words. "M-my keys. I need keys to, um..." Her mind went blank and she didn't know just what it was she needed her keys for.

Adrian smiled and again lowered his head and nuzzled against her neck. He couldn't remember being quite so - _desperate_ to kiss Trudy even in their earliest days of dating. But he found himself simply not wanting to ever stop kissing his Natalie and he thought it unbelievable that she was so flustered just by kissing _him. _

"Open the door?" he suggested, as he looked up with a grin.

She nodded quickly and blushed. "We...we need to go inside."

Natalie turned the key in the lock and opened the door but they had made it no more than two steps inside when she was in his arms again and he pushed the door closed with his cane and looked at her with a self-satisfied smile. Suddenly he picked her up a few inches off the ground and spun her around, dipping her down and bringing her back up in his strong arms, reverently whispering her name before their lips met again in a passionate kiss.

Natalie's handbag fell to the floor and so did her coat, yet she hardly noticed. Adrian walked her backwards towards the living room, never once breaking the kiss, until he stumbled into the wall and they had to stop.

"When did that wall get there?" he asked, feigning irritation.

Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, her eyes fluttering closed as he continued to press soft kisses on her neck. She whimpered a quiet moan of pleasure. "I...I can get rid of it tomorrow if you want." she sighed.

"I love you, Natalie Teeger," he murmured. "I love you so very much."

Her eyes misted with tears and she was certain that by the end of tonight she wouldn't have any tears left, if he kept being so sweet to her.

"Oh, Adrian, I've been in love with you for so long..."

She would have said more, but suddenly, she was interrupted by a shadowy figure pushing her roughly to the side and heading straight for Adrian. Natalie screamed when they were parted and she heard the sounds of fists hitting flesh. Monk's cane went flying across the living room floor, then there was a crash into what sounded like her coffee table. Immediately, Adrian called out to her with a voice of alarm.

**"_Run!_"** he yelled, defending himself against the avalanche of crushing blows that seemed to come from every direction. _**"Sweetheart, run!"**_

She screamed his name and saw periodic flashes of movement as she heard the men and the fight travel from the living room to the dining room, whereupon one of them slammed the other into the table.

**"_Adrian!"_**

His voice was strangled, as if someone was trying to choke him, but even still he knew he had to get Natalie to safety and get her to get help. **_"Natalie! Get out of here and get the commander!"_**

Natalie started to run but Adrian's guttural scream of pain brought her back. The assailant's heel had planted itself firmly on the thigh of his still-weak leg and the leg buckled immediately, sending Adrian crashing towards the ground. All he could think to do at the moment was protect his head as the assailant showed no mercy and kicked and stomped on him, holding Adrian in place so he couldn't escape. He nearly lost consciousness when he was kicked in the side of the head with what Adrian was sure had to be steel-toed boots, but he pushed past the pain. He needed to help Natalie. He struggled to stay focused. His head spun. He heard the scratching of something along the floor and knew it to be one of Natalie's dining room chairs. He could see Natalie's blurry shadow jump on the assailant's back and attempt to put him in a headlock and try to subdue him.

More crashes, a scream, and then a light clicked on.

Steven Albright was there and his arm was locked around Natalie's neck. A semi-automatic pistol touched the base of her neck and pressed deep against her throat. "Turns out you are going to win an award tonight after all, Monk." Natalie whimpered when the cool metal of the pistol tapped against her skin. "Most Likely To Watch Your Girlfriend Get Murdered."

* * *

Randy Disher had only just pulled into the driveway of his and Sharona's home when his cell phone rang and Sharona let out a frustrated sigh. She'd barely seen him all week because he was working multiple investigations at the same time and the last thing she wanted after an evening like tonight was another night where she slept alone. Sharona knew it was Commander Stottlemeyer and knew it had to be important at this hour. Leland never called Randy just to talk.

Randy brought Sharona's hand to his mouth and kissed it by way of apology, then flipped his phone open and answered the call, clearing his throat in order to use his most authoritative police captain voice. Commander Stottlemeyer never had a problem sounded authoritative and demanding respect from his detectives, but Randy did. "Captain Disher."

"Randy, it's me. Get Sharona somewhere safe and meet me at Natalie's house. Make sure you have your gun and try to be quiet when you get here. I'm on my way there already. Caroline Shelton was found dead in her apartment, murdered, and Natalie isn't answering her cell phone. It might be nothing but -"

Sharona listened in increasing horror as Randy relayed to her everything Leland was saying. By the end of the call she hurriedly told him to stay safe and was jumping out of the car, running into their house so Randy could leave right away. Like Leland had said, it could be nothing, there could be no connection between Caroline Shelton's murder and Natalie not answering her phone, but that wasn't the way Sharona Disher's life worked. Of course there was a connection. Natalie and Adrian were in some sort of trouble, Sharona could feel it in her bones.

* * *

Albright held the gun to Natalie's throat, his finger positioned just inside the trigger guard, and walked her to the middle of the living room, motioning for her to sit. Natalie hesitated so he moved his finger tip directly onto the trigger. She screamed and sat down exactly where Steven had told her to sit.

"Good girl." he sneered.

Adrian tried to get up but a roundhouse kick to the back of his head sent him crashing back to the floor. Steven squatted in front of Natalie, blocking her from Adrian's view.

He tapped the pistol against Natalie's tear-stained cheeks and told her not to worry, if she played by the rules it would all be over soon and it wouldn't even hurt.

"I really did want a life with you," Steven murmured, disappointedly shaking his head at her betrayal. "It was all I could think about after Caroline left me. Mitch wasn't good enough for you, Natalie, he never was good enough for you. You should have been mine." He pressed his mouth to her cheek, centimeters from her mouth. "I would have taken care of you and Julie, Natalie. Julie would have always had a father if she had me."

"Julie's father is dead!" Natalie cried, tears streaming down her face. "How dare you talk about Mitch!"

"And you sure replaced him fast, didn't you?" Steven sneered.

Natalie sniffled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, wishing she could see Adrian but she didn't dare provoke Steven and move from where he'd ordered her to sit. He had a gun and they didn't. Her ex-boyfriend's grasp on reality had snapped, that much was obvious, and they were in much more danger than she ever could have realized.

"I never had a chance on getting Julie to like me and getting the three of us to be a family so long as Monk was around. **He** was your priority, **always**. Julie liked him better." Steven turned away from Natalie and nonchalantly stared at Monk groaning on the floor. "Hey, buddy. How's it going?"

Monk struggled to bring himself to his elbows and wiped the blood from his mouth. Even after wiping, the blood continued to gush from his mouth. He glared at Steven but stayed silent because the gun was still so close to Natalie's face and he didn't want to endanger her in any way. He would wait and watch for any potential next move.

Steven reached around Natalie for the nightstand next to Monk's hospital bed and pulled out a packet of wipes. He tossed two of them on the floor.

"Wipe?"

Natalie's anger intensified at the way Steven's tone cruelly mocked him.

Monk took the first wipe, the one that had fallen on top of the other one and thus hadn't touched the floor, and wiped the blood from his mouth as best he could. He reached for the side of his hospital bed and used it as leverage to pull himself up, so at least now he was sitting. His leg was throbbing, but he didn't think it was broken. He could stand if he needed to and help Natalie. He could take Steven down. Now all he needed to do was wait for an opportunity as soon as Steven lowered the gun. Monk did not want that gun going off accidentally anywhere near Natalie. He'd only just found her as his life partner, he couldn't lose her now.

Steven's mocking voice reverberated in Natalie's living room, highlighted by the silence of both Adrian and Natalie. He paced the floor. "I was sorry I had to leave you so early, my dear, sweet Natalie, but when your lover showed up and threw his weight around and started to make a scene, I thought it would be best to leave. I didn't want to ruin the party. I wanted to be the bigger person."

"Adrian and I aren't lovers, Steven," Natalie whispered quietly, staring at the floor. She hoped Adrian understood what she was trying to do. Steven had clearly gone over the edge at the idea she had left him for Adrian, and if Natalie could convince him that she hadn't, they might make it out of there alive. "We had one dance and that was all."

Steven immediately came back to Natalie and pointed the gun directly at her chest. Natalie winced and turned her head away as the barrel of the gun touched her breastbone. "Now why don't I believe you, Ms. Davenport?" he wondered, tracing her mouth with his fingers on the hand that wasn't holding the gun. "Could it be the way your defective detective is looking at you right now like he'd love nothing more than to pound me?" Steven laughed out loud. "He really is defective if he thinks he could take me. And, see, Natalie, I noticed the way you looked at him even before tonight. Even when you were with me."

"Steven, let her go," Adrian ordered. "You have a problem with me so let it be with me. Shoot me. Don't take it out on Natalie."

Steven's eyes brightened as he turned the gun towards Monk. "He does speak!" His eyes narrowed and darkened. "Oh dear, dear, Adrian…I can call you Adrian, can't I? It seems like everyone gets to call you Adrian these days, so I figured I'd go along with the crowd. You like that better than Defective Detective, don't you? It's so much more respectful."

Steven stepped closer to Monk, and Natalie's eyes darted frantically around the room for the nearest thing she could even try to use as a weapon.

Steven continued. "As good of an idea that was, and it really, really was a good one, I must congratulate you. But that isn't how this works. You can't negotiate with me or trade yourself for her. You don't get to make requests, buddy. You don't get to explain to me how this is going to happen. I'm the one that decides who is going to die first. Will it be the _lovely widow Teeger_? Or maybe I'll change my mind and it's going to be the widower who may be the one man in this world who is unluckier in love than I am." Steven smiled, an evil smile that rattled Natalie to her core and reminded Adrian of the worst murderers he had helped Leland and Randy put away over the years. "It really is quite the predicament."

* * *

Randy turned off his headlights before he even turned onto the street that led to Natalie's house and parked his car directly in front of Leland's. He quickly pulled into the driveway and walked as quickly as he could to Leland's car. Leland was leaning against the side of his car, looking up at Natalie's house.

Randy stood beside his commander and spoke as quietly as he could. "Hey," he whispered. "You heard anything from Natalie or Monk?"

"Nothing. The light is on in the kitchen and the living room and there aren't any other cars here but Natalie isn't answering her phone and that scares me knowing what we know about Caroline Shelton. I hope T.K. is right and they're just taking advantage of an empty house, but I know something's wrong. I was waiting for you to get here so we could scope out the place and make sure everything's okay." Leland stuffed his hands in his pockets. "If T.K. does turn out to be right, and all that happens is that we walk in on Monk and Natalie kissing on her couch, we'll apologize and leave them be."

Randy furrowed his brow. He didn't want to think about Natalie and Monk kissing. "It's not like Natalie to not answer her phone."

"No, it's not," Leland agreed, a grave undertone of uncertainty in his voice. "Especially considering Julie is out for the night. She'd never leave her daughter without a way to get in touch."

Randy had a suggestion. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go around the back and take a look through the window in Natalie's kitchen. You can see straight through the house, remember?"

Leland looked at Randy in surprise. "Um, yeah. That sounds like a good idea." He clapped Randy on the shoulder. "Good thinking."

Randy stood straighter at the rare praise from Commander Stottlemeyer, at least directed towards him, and slowly headed towards the back of the house. His foot had just stepped on the bottom step of Natalie's front porch when his cell phone started to ring - and the distinct _I Don't Need A Badge_ ringtone from the Randy Disher Project began to play. Randy froze. He didn't dare to look at Leland.

Leland wasn't even looking at Randy. He was staring at the window.

Steven Albright had snatched Natalie up out of her chair and now stood with her, looking out the window, a gun pressed directly against her chest.

* * *

He pulled Natalie away from the window and cursed under his breath, glaring at his two hostages. He cursed again. "Why are your friends here? When did you call them? Are they worried about something?"

Natalie lifted her head to look her captor square in the eye. "Do they have something to be worried about?"

Steven rolled his eyes. "Look at you trying so hard to be brave. You should be proud of her, Adrian. Really, you should." He pointed towards where she was to sit now, away from the window and away from the police commander and the captain's line of vision.

His focus returned to Adrian.

"You mentioned that you knew all about Caroline and the restraining order and now your friends must be worried about how Natalie will be treated since she left me too. That is really sweet, but unfortunately, it's too little too late." His eyes shifted to Natalie. "I've known since you broke up with me that you spoke with Caroline."

Natalie looked confused. "But how?" She needed to keep him talking.

"You really are stupid, aren't you? You left her phone number on the counter the day you broke up with me, when you gave me your little speech about how you liked spending time with me but didn't think you could handle being in a long-distance relationship with a military man that was always deployed and in danger. You must have forgotten that it's your defective detective that puts you in danger every single day he's a part of your life." Steven laughed. "Now I know where Julie gets her flair for the dramatic from."

Adrian moved a few inches towards Steven. "You keep Julie's name out of your mouth, do you understand?"

Steven waved his hand dismissively towards Monk. "I told you that you don't get to make demands. One more word out of you and I'll shoot Natalie right here right now so you can watch yet another woman that you love die in front of you. I'm not sure you'd be able to survive that." Then, he chuckled. "Of course, you're not going to survive this evening anyway. So, I suppose it doesn't matter."

Natalie quickly opened her mouth to speak to take Steven's attention away from Adrian and make him concentrate on her. "But if you_ knew_ I'd talked to Caroline and I knew what you did, why did you come back and say you wanted to marry me? Why quit the military for me?"

Steven walked behind where Natalie was sitting and in one motion put his arm around her neck in a tight chokehold, with just enough slack for her to breathe. Natalie's breath was coming out in quick, short gasps. "It would seem like you're not the only one that knows how to lie. My dear, sweet, Natalie, did you _really_ think I would give up my career for you? I'm up for Lieutenant Commander next month." He released her from his chokehold and allowed her to regain control of her breathing, then moved back in front of her, gun still in hand. "Now that you know what happened to Caroline, my plans are going to have to change. You see, I came here to keep you from talking, but now - I won't be able to leave here with the both of you. I won't be able to control two hostages once I take you outside. One of you is going to have to die."

* * *

Leland had been on the phone with the SWAT team for several minutes and turned to Randy as soon as he hung up the call. "SWAT will be here in five minutes, they said. We know the drill on what to do if anything goes down before they get here."

Randy didn't want to look at his commander and see the look of disappointment on his face, not that Randy wasn't used to it. He'd gotten used to being the disappointment of their tight-knit group of four in terms of detective work, but it didn't make it hurt any less when he knew he'd done something wrong and upset Commander Stottlemeyer. "I'm - I'm sorry, Commander, I know better than that to have my phone on during surveillance. I should have turned it off or left it in the car."

Leland looked at him in surprise. Randy looked utterly devastated at the potential of what he could have caused to happen. "Randy, it was a mistake. You had no way of knowing Benjy was going to call you this late at night. Of course you always answer his calls. Just like I would do for Jared or Max, or Monk would for Julie."

"But you had just said I had a good idea in going to look back at Natalie's kitchen window. I wanted to be doing something here that showed you that I got it. That I'm not the same bumbling idiot I was when we first started working together. I wanted you to see that I've grown."

Leland clapped his lead captain on the shoulder. "Randy, I wouldn't have pushed for your promotion if I didn't think you were a good cop. You are. You don't have to do anything to show me that you get it. I know you get it. I don't buy into a lot of your theories, but it makes the job interesting to hear them. Makes it less stressful sometimes. You know how it gets at work and you know that we need that." He nodded towards the house. "But our friends are in that house and they're in danger and we need to get them out. That's what matters right now. Monk finally got the girl after fourteen years of mourning his wife, we're not going to let it end tonight, are we?

* * *

Steven ranted nonsensically about Caroline and how he had warned her what would happen to her if she ever talked and betrayed him, and Natalie watched out of the corner of her eye as Adrian struggled to a standing position with his cane in his hand. Natalie just needed to keep him talking and focused on her so he wouldn't see Adrian coming. "Talk to me and help me understand, Steven. I can help you explain it to the captain and the commander. Where is Caroline? What happened to her?"

Albright turned his head towards Natalie. "Somewhere she won't ever be able to betray me again. Somewhere you and your boyfriend are going to be by the end of the night. Somewhere -"

Adrian took the cane in both of his hands and swung it with all his might directly at Steven Albright's face, the curved end of the cane connecting so hard with his nose and mouth that blood gushed from his nose. Albright staggered backwards, knocked off kilter by the blow. He raised his weapon unsteadily towards Monk, struggling to take aim at space in between Monk's eyes. Adrian stepped closer and hit him again with the cane, this time in the stomach and Steven folded, falling to the floor. The gun fell from his hands and landed several feet away. Adrian moved to pick it up but Albright reached out and clamped his hand around Monk's ankle, jerking it towards him and causing Adrian to stumble and fall to the ground. He landed directly on his stomach and his wind was knocked out of him with a sickening _whoosh. _Natalie screamed.

Steven scrambled to his feet and got to the gun first, but Adrian had somehow managed to stand and was right behind Steven, grabbing for the muzzle end of the gun. Natalie screamed again when Steven simply maneuvered his finger into the trigger position and acted like he was going to pull his finger back. Natalie knew that a gunshot wound from this distance would surely kill him.

"**_NATALIE, RUN! _****_Get Leland!_" **Adrian screamed before wrestling the gun downward to where it rested between him and Albright.

"I love you," she cried as she ran towards the front door as fast as her legs would carry her.

The men crashed into one of the floor lamps and when the lamp hit the floor the bulb broke and the room went dark. In the darkness, Natalie heard another crash and then two gunshots, one mere seconds after the other, then a sickening thud as two bodies fell to the floor. In the still of the night, she heard Adrian whisper that he loved her and that he was sorry. Then there was silence.

* * *

The SWAT team arrived just as the lights went out inside Natalie's house. Leland and Randy weren't about to wait for the team to mobilize for as soon as they heard the first gunshot the two stormed the house. Leland kicked the door open and Randy reached for the light switch. Natalie's heart-wrenching whimpers were the first thing both of them heard and they followed the sound, stopping in their tracks and lowering their weapons when they came to the edge of the living room and assessed the scene in front of them. Randy ran outside to tell the SWAT team there was no need to storm the house and to call for two ambulances.

Natalie was crying, on her knees beside Monk's body. His jacket, her hands, her dress - the beautiful dress she had spent three days looking for with T.K. so she could look good that night for Adrian - it was all covered in his blood. Mere feet away from them lay Steven Albright, blood pooling around him from an open gunshot wound to the chest. Both were unconscious.

Leland ran to Natalie and fell to his knees beside her at Monk's side, He reached forward and pressed two of his fingers to the side of Monk's neck in the desperate hope they would still have a pulse. Natalie sobbed as she faced him. She collapsed into his shoulder.

* * *

_Author's Note: Special Thanks to Alex Hoodle for the Title to this chapter. Also, special thanks to Alex, Dmander, Aloysia Piton, Ljd21690, Monkish, maggsm, VL & guests for your reviews and notes of encouragement. We are very happy that you are enjoying this story (even if it is full of cliffhangers). What will happen next? Check back Tuesday for more._


	33. The Aftermath

_Authors Note: Our apologies for not getting this out on Tuesday as promised. An unforeseen power outage knocked out the internet for one of us which delayed the final edits required before we could post. In the future, we will try to post things as quickly as possible and not keep you waiting; however, there are a few planned breaks in our schedule and sometimes (as it did this time) life just gets in the way. Thank you for your patience!_

* * *

The time read 11:54 PM on the dashboard clock of Julie Teeger's friend Amy's car as Amy was bringing Julie home a little before midnight, just as she had promised her mother she would. Even though she was eighteen, she and her mom had an agreement that if she were to be out late at night, that she would always come home by a set time, and would call if she couldn't make that time, so that Natalie did not have to worry.

On that particular evening, as her friend Amy drove into Julie's neighborhood, the two girls sang and moved in their seats to the melodic sounds of Bruno Mars as he sang _Just the Way You Are_ which was playing on the local San Francisco radio station. However, all singing stopped when Amy rounded the corner to turn onto Julie's street and they found the street a barricaded about halfway down the block, keeping them from going any further. Julie's heart began to race and she turned off the radio when she saw her family home illuminated by the red and blue lights of SFPD cruisers and watched as a flurry of law enforcement swarmed around her house.

"What the he -" Amy muttered in astonishment. "That's your house, isn't it Jules? What the heck happened?"

Amy's vehicle had not come to a complete stop before Julie grabbed her phone and her purse and jumped out of the car, running to her house and to her front porch. SWAT members and officers tried to stop her, but she pushed past them all and reached her front door. She reached out her hand and was beginning to turn the knob when she heard footsteps behind her. An officer's hand clamped down on her shoulder and roughly led her away from the door.

"No entrance until the area is cleared, ma'am. This is an active crime scene; forensics still needs to do their thing and collect evidence."

"_**I live ****here**_!" the teenager screamed, but the officer explained that it wasn't possible for her to be allowed in as he led her off the porch and back down into the yard. While he called for someone to lead her away, she rummaged through her purse for her phone and immediately dialed her mom's and then Adrian's phone numbers. Both went straight to voicemail. For Julie to get a straight voicemail recording from Adrian's phone wasn't unusual, but the fact that her mom's phone did the same, when it was Julie calling, told her something was very, very wrong, as though the bevy of police surrounding her house wasn't enough of a clue.

She walked back over to the officer and grabbed his sleeve. "You need to let me in! I live here! Where's my mom?! Where's Adrian?! Why is there crime scene tape up all over the backyard?! Why is forensics here? What happened?!" Julie gulped and suddenly thought of something else that wasn't right. "Where's Commander Stottlemeyer and Captain Disher? Can I talk to either one of them, please? I - I know them, they work with my mom and Adrian."

In the distance, a police officer heard the voice of the scared girl who asked for Commander Stottlemeyer or Captain Disher and he immediately recognized who she was: Julie Teeger, the daughter of Monk's assistant. He hurried over and quietly muttered something to the other officer and the officer took his hand off of Julie's arm.

"It's okay, Davidson, she's the daughter of the homeowner. Monk, Disher and Stottlemeyer know her and can vouch for her. Let me take it from here and you go into the house and talk to forensics."

The officer frowned, muttering something under his breath about playing favorites and teenage princesses that think they don't have to follow the rules, but did as he was told and went inside the house.

Julie reached inside her purse for her wallet and immediately showed the new officer her ID just in case. The officer identified himself as Lieutenant Carson and said that ID wasn't necessary and he would speak with her for a moment and tell her what he could, but that he needed her to step away from the house and let the professionals do their jobs. Julie reluctantly did as she was told, looking back at the house the entire time.

"I'm Julie Teeger and my mom is Natalie Teeger, but I guess you know that. Do you know where my mom and Adrian are? Why can't I see them? Are they okay?"

The lieutenant shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I really can't tell you much. What I do know, and what we can tell you, is that at ten forty-five the precinct got an emergency call from Commander Stottlemeyer requesting that the SWAT team be dispatched to this address due to a potential hostage situation. The team left right away, however, by the time they arrived the incident was already over. Two people were shot, at least one of them critically."

Julie gasped and shivered, and her shivering had nothing to do with the usual drop in temperature this late at night. She turned pale. "M - my mom?!"

"I'm sorry, Julie, but I can't answer that one, because I don't know. There were two ambulances transporting the victims to the hospital when me and my guys arrived and I think Commander Stottlemeyer was in one of the ambulances, too. Not sure which of the injured he went with but it sounded like they were taking both of them to San Francisco General."

Julie dried her eyes and wiped her nose with her hand, not caring that she was crying. Commander Stottlemeyer would be more likely to go with Adrian if he was significantly hurt, but he might be with her mom because Adrian couldn't be, if he was in the other ambulance. She still didn't know what could have happened. Did they intercept a burglar? That wouldn't require the SWAT team, she didn't think, unless it was like a television show she watched once and the burglar wanted to go down swinging and take hostages. _Mom! Adrian!_ Julie thought hopelessly. _I wish someone would tell me where you were!_

"Who can I talk to, then? Who can tell me what the heck happened to my mom and her boss?!"

Lieutenant Carson touched Julie's shoulder and guided her to the driveway and to her friend. "Ma'am, I know you must be frightened, but I don't know more than I've told you. All the officers here are very busy right now. I would suggest you wait with your friend and find somewhere to stay for the night. I'm certain someone will call you when there is more information, and I will personally deliver a message to Captain Disher to call you as soon as he can."

* * *

The lieutenant went back to the house and to the porch once again. Turning back to Julie, he pointed towards the driveway. Julie sighed and trudged back towards Amy and the car. Her cell phone was in her hand and she continuously called her mother's number. There was never an answer. Julie felt like she would burst into tears, again, at any moment. She didn't feel Amy's hand on her shoulder and didn't even know she was there until she heard her voice.

"What do you need me to do, Jules?" her friend asked quietly. "Tell me what to do for you and I'll do it."

Julie turned to Amy, fell into her arms and sobbed. "They won't tell me! He said there was a double-shooting here tonight but they won't tell me who was hurt or how bad they were hurt. They won't even tell me what happened! Mom and Adrian were supposed to be at the Policeman's Ball tonight, Amy, they were giving Adrian an award." Julie's hand went to her throat in horror. "Oh, Amy, what if they never made it there? What if they were carjacked or something? Adrian would do anything to protect Mom, but he's still hurt, he'd be an easy target for anyone."

Amy silently thought for a moment and then snapped her fingers. "Call that commander you're always talking about, the one that always comes to your mom and Adrian's rescue when they need him. Wouldn't he know more? He could tell you if they made it to the party or not, and that would be a start."

Julie wiped her eyes and immediately grasped onto the suggestion like a lifeline, rushing through her phone contacts until she got to C for Commander Stottlemeyer. She called his work-cell phone and impatiently waited for an answer that never came. She hung up after the eighth ring and dialed the number for his home, silently thanking her mother once again for insisting that she also have that number in her contacts. There was an answer after the second ring, but it wasn't Commander Stottlemeyer. It was a voice she vaguely recognized, the commander's wife. T.K. Her mom had coffee with her once a week, or tried to.

"Leland?" Julie heard the other woman say frantically. "Leland, what's going on? What happened?"

Julie sniffled. "Um, is this T.K.? Commander Stottlemeyer's wife?"

The other end of the line was silent for a moment. "Yes, I'm his wife. Did something happen to him? Who is this?"

Julie's sniffles grew louder. "T.K., I know you don't know me very well, but I'm Julie Teeger. My mom is Natalie Teeger. I, I just got home from hanging out with my friends and there are all these police officers at my house and they won't tell me anything that happened except that two people were shot here tonight and Commander Stottlemeyer went to the hospital with them. Can you - can you get him to call me, please, and tell me what happened to my mom and Adrian? He's not answering his phone and he's the only one I can think of that would talk to me. My mom and Adrian trust him so I trust him, too."

"Oh...honey, I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't know much more than you do. Leland wasn't able to talk to me very long when he called. He called me about an hour ago. He couldn't give me a lot of details over the phone but he said that Steven Albright was there at your house waiting for your mom and Adrian when they got home from the Policeman's Ball. From what Leland told me, there was a struggle for the gun and both Adrian and Steven were shot."

Julie gasped, her mind trying to assemble all of the bits of information T.K. had just told her. "Shot?! Is Adrian hurt badly? I know that the commander is Adrian's emergency medical contact...is that why he went with him? Oh...and you said, Steven Albright? Mom's ex-boyfriend? He was waiting for them with a gun - like...he broke in to our house and just - waited there in the dark? That gives me the creeps."

T.K. stayed silent and waited patiently as Julie finished all of her questions. "I don't know any of those answers, honey, I wish I did. Leland couldn't talk long. He told me he'd call me as soon as he could with new information."

Julie paused. She couldn't afford to think about Steven Albright anymore. She was too worried about her mom and Adrian. "T.K.? There's a lieutenant here and he told me that Commander Stottlemeyer and the two ambulances went to San Francisco General. Did your husband tell you for sure that's where they are? My friend Amy is here and she can take me…"

T.K.'s gentle voice interjected. "You're only just eighteen, aren't you? Going with your friend might not work in terms of being able to see Adrian, if your mom or Leland aren't able to be there to take you back. You aren't Adrian's immediate family, at least not yet, and they wouldn't be able to tell you where he was."

Julie immediately caught on to the other woman's quiet "yet" qualifier regarding her not being Adrian's immediate family and instantly her mood changed and she got excited. Maybe she had found a kindred spirit, or at least someone she could talk with about what was going on between her mom and Adrian - someone who would get more excited about things than the commander did. "You said, 'yet'! What happened at that party?!"

Over on the other end of the line, twenty minutes across town, T.K. Stottlemeyer smiled, but kept the story of the party to herself. That was a story for another day, another time, and that was for Natalie and Adrian to share.

"Ask your mom someday, and come back to me and I'll tell you all the things she didn't say. Julie...is there a neighbor's house you and your friend could go to? I don't want the two of you sitting out on the street when it's so dark, and neither would your mom or Adrian. Stay somewhere safe and I'll come get you. I'll take you to the hospital, we'll find Leland, and between the two of us we'll get you back to see where Adrian is. I'm sure your mom is going to be right there at his side."

Julie sniffled and looked up to where her across-the-street neighbor, Imogene Baylor, was sitting on her front porch watching all of the action on their street. Mrs. Baylor and her mother had known each other for many years, since she and her mom moved here, and there were a lot of afternoons and even overnights when her mom was at one of her multiple, pre-Mr. Monk jobs that Julie would stay at her house.

She would wait for T.K. at Mrs. Baylor's.

"T.K.?" Julie asked. "I'm going to go two doors down from my our house and across the street to Mrs. Baylor's. It's a blue house with a front porch just like our house. I'll have my phone on and I'll be waiting for you. Thank – thank you so much."

* * *

Imogene Baylor and Julie walked together the three-quarters of the block to the end of the street where T.K.'s car was parked. T.K. had told Julie she would simply park there and Julie could come to her, due to the temporary police barricades that made getting down that street close to impossible. Mrs. Baylor insisted on walking Julie to the car that was going to pick her up, both because it was pitch black outside and also because she wanted to make sure this police commander's wife was who she said she was. "You can never be too careful these days", the neighbor said out loud. And besides, thought Imogene Baylor, that poor Natalie Teeger seemed to attract trouble like flies because of who she worked for. How a perfectly nice woman like that could work for someone that investigated murders for a living and enjoyed it was beyond her imagination.

Julie picked up the pace and started a slow jog that quickly transformed into a run as soon as she saw T.K.'s car, not even listening when Mrs. Baylor cried out for her to _slow down, child, and walk_! Julie barely resisted the urge to tell her neighbor that she was eighteen now, not eight. It took so much more time than Julie anticipated to convince Mrs. Baylor that T.K. Stottlemeyer was legit, was in fact the police commander's wife like both Julie and T.K. said she was, and would be taking her straight to the hospital, no dillydallying, but finally she managed to satisfy her and Mrs. Baylor reluctantly allowed her to get into the car.

The second Julie closed the door she turned to T.K. and begged her to hurry up and start driving and not stop until they got to the hospital.

"But I can stop at red lights, right?" T.K. asked. "I don't want your Mrs. Baylor to come after me."

Julie looked mortified and it was a good minute before she saw T.K.'s smile and relaxed enough to chuckle. "I am so, so sorry. She watched me after school sometimes when mom was at work, this was even before she worked for Adrian, so I was little. She saw that my mom didn't have a husband and so she took it upon herself to watch out for me when mom wasn't around. She's always been overprotective like that and I'm really, really sorry if she offended you."

T.K. shook her head to say she wasn't offended; it was good that Julie had neighbors like that to look out for her and her mom. The other woman motioned to the radio as if to say, change it to whatever you want.

She attempted to call her husband once they were close to the hospital to ensure that he would be available to meet them downstairs and get Julie in to see Monk. She could almost see the nervous energy radiating from the scared teenager the closer they got to the hospital. He didn't answer. Taking another look at Julie and how she nervously played with her purse straps, T.K. pressed redial over and over again, and on the fourth call Leland finally picked up on the sixth ring. T.K. let out a relieved breath and quickly told her husband that she'd explain everything later but that she had Julie in the car and they were just getting to the front entrance. Julie needed to see her mom and Monk and she needed to see them now since she was sure her mind was picturing horrible, horrible things. Leland said something under his breath T.K. didn't catch but promised he'd be there to meet them in the emergency room waiting area.

* * *

Julie was out of the car before T.K. even slowed down and T.K. hurriedly parked next to the nearest curb even though it said NO PARKING in block letters and white paint. One fringe benefit of having a cop for a husband was that if T.K. asked him nicely when he was in a good mood he might be able to take care of the parking ticket she undoubtedly was going to get.

Julie ran through the hospital double-doors and looked around frantically, T.K. close behind and pointing to Leland as soon as she saw him.

"Commander Stottlemeyer!" the eighteen-year-old cried out as soon as he was pointed out to her, zig-zagging through the other people in the waiting area to get to him and hugging him as soon as she was close. He hesitated before awkwardly patting her on the back, looking at T.K. over Julie's head as if to ask her why Julie was hugging him.

"The police at my house said you called them and asked for the SWAT team to come to mom's house. One of your lieutenants said something about two people being shot and that Steven Albright was there! What happened?! Where's my mom and Adrian? Is Adrian okay? Did…did Steven hurt mom? Were you there? Did you see anything? Where's Captain Disher?" Julie's questions came shooting out one after the other rapid-fire even with T.K. trying to comfort her. Leland could hardly keep up. Privately, he thanked his lucky stars that he and Karen produced only two relatively even-tempered boys.

Leland cautiously put both hands on Julie's shoulders and quietly instructed her to try to calm down. "Breathe, Little Teeger." Julie rolled her eyes at the name he used for her and T.K. looked offended on Julie's behalf until Leland said that was what he called her sometimes and Julie nodded in affirmative. "Your mom wasn't shot. She's perfectly fine. She and Monk are back there while Monk is getting…"

"I have to see them!" cried an emotional and excited Julie. She didn't wait for Commander Stottlemeyer to finish his sentence before she started running in the direction of the emergency room doors, the 'back there' he had referred to, almost running into a nurse as she rushed by. The nurse yelled for her to stop, but Julie ran on. Leland ran after her, flashing his badge at the nurse to tell her he had it under control and the girl was with him. T.K. followed close behind.

"Julie! Slow down, kiddo," Leland yelled down the hall as he tried to keep pace with the teenager as she worked her way from room to room. San Francisco General was the city's main trauma hospital, it was Friday night, the start of the weekend, and it was close to one o'clock in the morning -which was all a way of saying it was a crazy rush. Leland had to run fast so he didn't lose sight of Monk's surrogate daughter.

"I am too old for this," he muttered to T.K. along the way, and his wife grinned.

Leland muttered something under his breath, apologizing to the nurse and the patient involved, when Julie poked her head into a new room and was immediately reprimanded for seeing the patient when they were half-dressed. Leland caught up to Julie in two strides and firmly took her by the arm, pulling her away from that room and moving to the opposite wall, to the nearest semi-quiet place he could find.

"Julie," he said quietly and Julie immediately looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, recognizing the commander's tone as his police-commander, behave-yourself voice. His tone softened. "Julie, I know you're scared. But you have to calm down and you can't run away from me and run through the halls. There are very sick people here. I know where Monk and your mom are, I'll take you. You just have to relax. You're making_ me_ nervous."

Julie sniffled, mumbled an apology and allowed Commander Stottlemeyer and T.K. to take her down the hall and around the corner to where Adrian's room was. Julie matched the commander stride for stride as they got closer to his room, and Leland put his arm loosely around Julie's shoulder when they stopped and Julie hesitated before going inside. "It's okay, Julie, honest. I was with him in the ambulance and I've mostly been with him ever since. Go on."

Julie took a breath and pulled back the privacy curtain, and when she did, she saw something that was very different than what her mind had been telling her nonstop for the last hour, and T.K.'s comment on the phone all of a sudden made a lot more sense.

Leland and T.K. shared secret smiles and took a step back for the moment to allow Julie the full experience of seeing what was in front of her.

Natalie was at Adrian's side, just as T.K. predicted she would be. But everything else was different this time. Her mom was sitting on the edge of Adrian's hospital bed up by Adrian's waist, he was sitting up looking at her mother like her mom was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen, and they were holding hands. Not just holding hands, he was _rubbing the back of her hand! _Julie watched in somewhat of shock as her mom gently kissed her fingers and pressed them to Adrian's bandaged shoulder, and she watched as Adrian's entire countenance and demeanor seemed to change as he looked at her mom. She watched as he leaned forward towards her mom and her mom leaned in, too, and then they kissed.

Julie clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing, looking backwards only for one second to mock-glare at the commander and his wife for not telling her about this. She knocked on the side of the wall, and even Leland smirked when Natalie and Monk both startled at the interruption and moved away from each other. She scurried to the side of Adrian's bed and Natalie got out of the way just in time before Julie threw her arms around him in a tight hug, mindful of his shoulder. Adrian didn't hesitate and hugged her back, whispering into her hair that he was fine, everything was all right, it wasn't like last time. Julie wasn't even surprised that he knew what she was thinking before she even did. The entire car ride to the hospital Julie's mind stubbornly refused to rest and kept reminding her of the last time Adrian had been hurt and how long it took him to recover from that and how hard it had been.

"I was so worried about you," was all Julie would say, and her voice shook even saying that. Then, she looked down at her mom and Adrian's interlocked hands and, deciding that commenting on the fact that she had seen them kiss would be too embarrassing for them at this point and not something she wanted to tease them about in front of the commander. She stared at Adrian. "Is there something that you two would like to tell me?"

Adrian immediately looked down in discontent. This was not how he wanted Natalie's daughter to find out about this new development in their relationship.

"You said is there something we would **like **to tell you, and since you are giving me the choice, I would say no thank you, there is nothing I would like to share with you here, at this time."

Natalie had buried her face in his other shoulder, meanwhile, and even from across the room T.K. could see her desperately trying not to laugh.

Julie only hugged him again. "You two are finally dating, and not just the 'I'll-take-you-to-the-Policeman's-Ball-because-it's-the-only-way-you-can-see-me-get-my-award' kind of date! You're really together! I knew it!" At his shocked look she giggled.

Adrian looked at Natalie in shock.

Julie giggled. "_Please_! I've been watching you two ever since you moved in after you left the hospital. I knew there was something going on but I didn't think you'd would ever make a move. Why do you think I called the Commander to go find you, Adrian, after you left the grocery store? I thought he could talk some sense into you."

Julie wished she'd swallowed her tongue when she realized that she had indirectly brought up the situation with Steven Albright and saw how her mom reacted. Natalie whimpered and scooted even closer to Adrian, if that was even possible, turning away from Julie and pressing her face into Adrian's uninjured shoulder.

There was an awkward silence, the space of about thirty seconds. T.K. was the first one to speak and Julie looked up in surprise that the Stottltemeyers were still there.

"Honey, why don't I take you to get something to eat while Leland talks to your mom and Adrian for a few minutes?" she suggested.

Julie's heated response was immediate. ""No! If the Commander needs to talk to them in private that means it's about police business. I called you to bring me here because I came home at midnight to all sorts of emergency vehicles at my house. Steven Albright came after my mom and I deserve to know why."

Leland looked over at Natalie, as if to ask her if it was okay for him to speak in front of Julie and she looked at her daughter and nodded.

"As much as it pains me to say this," Natalie said "Julie is an adult now and she's right, this situation involves her as much as it does us. She deserves to know."

Leland grinned, making a mental note at how quickly Julie had grown up.

"Very well. The information that I'm about to share may be upsetting." he began.

Natalie sighed, "Well, we've got _upsetting_ pretty much down to a science, so...alright. I'm listening."

Leland nodded. "It's about Caroline Shelton, Steven Albright's former fiancée. I'm afraid it's not good news."

"She's dead." Natalie said, flatly. "Steven killed her. We know."

"You do?" Stottlemeyer asked with surprise. "How?"

Natalie looked at Adrian and continued. "He practically confessed. He said that he had warned her what would happen to her if she ever talked and.. he..." suddenly, Natalie stopped and began to cry again as she realized that if she hadn't called Caroline, that Caroline might still be alive. She felt she had indirectly gotten Caroline killed.

Adrian reached around her and pulled her into his uninjured shoulder, where he stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. As she tried to regain control of her emotions, he finished her story.

"Albright inferred he had killed her, and basically said that he was going to do the same to us. Tonight, I guess he gave it his best shot - quite literally. Thankfully, he failed."

"Indeed." Stottlemeyer said.

Julie was angry. "Well, if he confessed, you need to arrest him and get him off the street. Where's that bastard at? I'll cuff him myself!"

"Julie, watch your language." Adrian scoulded. "We think he's still in surgery."

Leland nodded. "Yes. I checked on him about forty minutes ago and they said he would likely still be in surgery for several more hours, if he survived. Julie, don't worry about Albright. We have enough on him just from tonight to lock him up a very long time."

"How long? What is the penalty for kidnapping and attempted murder in California?" she asked.

"Maximum 8 years for kidnapping - two counts would make that 16 years, and attempted murder ranges anywhere from five years to life with the possibility of parole - depending upon what we can prove." Leland said. "Realistically, I'd say Albright will be in prison for at least the next twenty years."

"Not long enough!" Julie snapped. "If he really killed his ex fiancée, what will it take to get him convicted of that? Will his confession suffice?"

Natalie looked up at her daughter, acting the junior prosecutor, and pushed her hair away from her shoulder. She loved the passion to protect her family that Julie was showing at that point.

Adrian answered the question. "Julie, to convict him of Caroline's murder, we need evidence. It can't just be his word. We would have to go Texas and..."

"Then let's go! Let's go get the evidence. Adrian! I know you, you could do it." Julie stated.

"Julie, honey, Adrian has been shot. He's just barely able to get around as it is and now it'll take even more time for him to get back to normal before he's able to go out on a trip like that. We will just have to leave it up to local law enforcement." Natalie said.

Adrian watched as Julie's head dropped in disappointment.

"No." he said. "We're not going to leave it up to the locals."

Leland narrowed his eyes as the women watched on. "What do you mean, you're not going to leave it up to the locals? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that the doctors said that I was shot through and through in my shoulder and that I was fortunate that the bullet hit nothing of importance, right?"

"Yes..." Natalie said, furrowing her brow.

"Well, they said they're to release me in the morning, which must mean I'm in no danger. I'll just get my things together and we can fly out to Galveston and check things out."

"Really?" Julie asked excited.

Leland objected. "Monk...I really don't think that..."

"No, Leland, I feel okay. Really. And Julie's right. If Albright killed Caroline, and we know he did, he needs to pay. Best get at the evidence trail sooner rather than later before the trail runs cold."

Natalie began to protest, but Adrian reached his hand up and put it on her lips.

"Sweetheart. We have to act now and make sure that Steven hurts noone else. I'll be fine. Besides, we'll be there together."

She still looked worried, but said nothing more.

"You sure about this?" Leland asked.

"Positive." Adrian said hugging Natalie once again and receiving a group hug from Julie as well.

"Very well. Except, you're going to San Antonio, not Galveston - because that's where Caroline's body was found. I'll fill you in about everything and will help you in any way I can."

"Thanks, Leland. We'll take all the help we can get." he replied.


	34. The Trip to Truth

The plane carrying Adrian and Natalie from San Francisco to Texas landed at San Antonio International Airport a little before 3:30 PM the next day. Natalie had prepared herself for a somewhat tense afternoon of air travel; but, thanks to the pain medication that Monk's surgeon had prescribed at the hospital for his shoulder, she had it relatively easy, with Adrian falling asleep with his head on her shoulder five minutes before takeoff and not waking up until the jolt of the wheels bounced lightly on the runway upon touchdown.

After the plane landed, Monk tried to get his bearings and break out of his sleepy fog while Natalie reached into the overhead bin and retrieved both of their regulation-sized carry-on bags that were stowed away during the flight. They might have only needed just those two bags and nothing more if it weren't for Adrian running true to form and packing at least four extras of everything that he thought he could possibly need before they left town, including food and water.

It was good they were making this trip, in a way, because even if they stayed they would have to find other accommodations for a few days since CSI agents were still cataloging the crime scene and would need time to clean and sanitize it due to the significant amount of blood left on Natalie's floor. It was even possible they would have to replace part of the Teeger's wood floor, which would have meant that Adrian's area would be disturbed and he might even have to find another place to sleep. Thankfully, Julie was able to stay with the Stottlemeyers (versus Natalie's parents which would have just brought up too many questions), so that was one less worry for Natalie on top of everything else.

In truth, Natalie wasn't sure she wanted to go back to the house just yet anyway, because all she could picture when she thought of her dining room was the horror of seeing Adrian's body lying there covered in blood with Steven lying beside him. Adrian woke up even before the ambulance arrived, and Steven made it through his surgery and was expected to survive. But for a few dark moments, she thought once again that she had lost the man she loved at the hands of the psychotic madman – this time, one whom she used to date.

It would be a struggle to walk through that room when she returned home if things were unchanged, and she figured it might be a good time to redecorate. The house had looked the same for years as it was. So, maybe it was time for a brand-new look, she thought – say, trade out the old green couch for a nice slightly-used but scrupulously clean brown leather sofa with matching armchair and ottoman…. maybe some bookshelves … She smiled as she considered the possibilities. They could clean out the old storage area in back and make that Adrian's room, and then move his furniture into her living room and then later…

"Sweetheart, you're blocking the aisle. These nice people would like for us to go." Adrian said, interrupting Natalie's daydream.

She blushed a little with embarrassment, but he would never know just why, and she was happy about that. How quickly her mind had turned to making their living arrangement permanent and how badly she wanted him to stay and be a part of their lives for always. Of course, this would only happen if things were to work out between them - after all, their first date started wonderfully but didn't end up so great. Maybe she was rushing things, she thought. But then again, she pondered, as she looked over at her boyfriend neatly reorganizing the magazines and help cards stored in the pocket of the airplane seat in front of him, this all just felt so very right. It was going to work out. It had to. So, perhaps they would discuss having him relocate to her house on a more permanent basis later. For now, they had a job to do and a crime to solve both for their own sense of closure and peace, and to bring Caroline justice.

* * *

As they stepped off the plane, T.K.'s friend Susan met them just inside the concourse. After warmly welcoming them, she helped them secure a cart to transport Adrian and Natalie to baggage claim in order to conserve on Monk's energy since he had just gotten out of the hospital. While Natalie and Susan waited for the suitcases at the carousel, Adrian excused himself for a few moments in order to purchase something at one of the airport's gift shops. After about ten minutes, he returned with a bag and a grin on his face.

Natalie looked at him suspiciously. "And exactly what have you been up to?" she asked.

He smiled even broader and reached into the bag, pulling out two Dallas Cowboy's ball hats, putting one on her head and one on his, so that they could better "fit in with the locals." Natalie shook her head and laughed. That was her Adrian, full of surprises. Funny…she always assumed that if he had been into football, he would have somehow been a Green Bay fan.

* * *

From there, Susan drove them to their hotel where they each went to their separate but adjoining rooms, and then on to the San Antonio police department.

Arriving at the SAPD, Susan whisked them through a security check and on to the office of her good friend, Officer Dale Wood. Dale was a seasoned police veteran who had helped Susan with several of the news stories that she had written about back in Galveston before he transferred to San Antonio three years earlier. Back in the college days they even went to the same school and briefly dated one another during their Junior year. Needless to say, he was happy to see her again.

"Susan! Get over here where I can take a look at you!" he said, warmly wrapping his arms around her as she entered the room. "You look great!"

"Thanks, Dale. You're looking great yourself! I'd like you to meet Adrian Monk and his assistant, Natalie Teeger. Natalie and Adrian, this is my old friend Dale Wood. He used to live in Galveston."

"Pleased to meet you." Natalie said and Monk just nodded and waved his hand, nodding towards his shoulder as his excuse for not shaking hands.

"Adrian and Natalie are here to investigate the murder of a woman that used to live in Galveston but moved to San Antonio earlier this year." Susan continued.

"Yes. Caroline Shelton. I got your message. I've pulled everything I can, but have to get Fulton's permission before I can let you see the data. Some new rule he's pointing to. I put in the request this morning, but so far he hasn't responded. Figured I would try again when you got here."

* * *

Detective Darrell Fulton was the kind of cop that wouldn't last two seconds, much less have been promoted to full detective, in Commander Leland Stottlemeyer's organization. Cocky, overbearing, and a general control freak, he was often the source of the kind of bureaucratic red tape that would cause the wheels of justice to come to a grinding halt. It was what he was known for, but unfortunately he knew the right _rings to kiss_ and therefore was somewhat protected in his current position. Working under him was Dale Wood who was far more capable, for more instinctual, and far more the man than Fulton would ever hope to be. This working relationship was often a source of frustration, and Wood considered more than once quitting and going back to Galveston. But, his bride-to-be's family was from San Antonio and so he often bit his tongue when Fulton was on one of his power trips and played along, for her sake. Given that Adrian and Natalie had flown all the way from San Francisco to see him, he didn't want this to be one of those times. And so, he knocked on the door and left them out in the hallway while he went in to talk with Fulton and found out what the verdict would be as to whether they were released to see the evidence.

Even from the outside, they heard the two men arguing and were able to make out words like _case is closed_, '_Califruitcakes'_, and _our jurisdiction, not theirs_. After a half hour, a red-faced Wood came bounding out of the office shaking his head even as he slammed the door shut.

"Nothing doing. I'm afraid you have made the trip for nothing. He won't budge." Wood said.

Natalie was alarmed and spoke up, "Well surely he doesn't have the final say. I mean, there should always be someone that we can appeal to...right?"

Wood put his hand on his hips. "His boss is Sergeant Kosko; however, for things like this, you have to go all of the way up to the level of Captain Tiller before you can hope to achieve any sort of remedy. And, Tiller is a very busy man. It's doubtful he would want to bother with something like this."

Adrian squinted his eyes. "Tiller. Is that Captain Eugene Tiller?"

Natalie and Wood both looked over at Monk. "Yes." Wood confirmed. "Do you know him?"

"Perhaps." Monk said. "Does he go to the Federal Criminal Investigator Training in Las Vegas every year?"

"Yes. He's on the board. Why do you ask?"

Monk smiled. "Oh. No reason, other than my best friend, " he paused and put his hand on Natalie's knee, "...that is my best _male_ friend back in San Francisco knows him. I think maybe it's time to give Commander Stottlemeyer a call."

* * *

While they awaited the results of Leland's call, Wood snuck Adrian and Natalie out to the crime scene in order to take a look.

Caroline Shelton's San Antonio apartment was in an undesirable part of town, far from the tourist area and the Riverwalk that was the center of so much of the city's activity. She had no doubt chosen this area as a place where she could disappear; yet, it now appeared that such a move had been in vain. Once Albright realized that she had talked to Natalie, it was only a matter of time that he would find out where she was.

The landlord let Monk and Natalie into the apartment along with Officer Wood, to see if there might be any additional evidence associated with the crime that might add to the case. The unit was largely untouched due to its owner's own superstition about disturbing the belongings of the recently dead. Likewise, since it took a full month for them to find Caroline's body, there was a stigma now associated with the 'death apartment' not to mention a bit of a mess to clean up – so literally no one had asked to see the apartment. This was all to Monk's advantage.

When the landlord opened the door and turned on the light, it was clear that there hadn't been anyone in the apartment for quite some time. The sickening smell of death still lingered in the air after all of these months; however, someone sprayed a deodorizer so it was not overpowering. And, everything was left apparently as it had been the last time police had entered the building. There were markers on the floor where they found the body, and fingerprint dust could be seen along the ledges of every window and upon the handles of every door. It was eerie.

Wood told Monk that he was free to look around, but he doubted that they would find anything in there since his own elite San Antonio investigators had already scoured the place. Natalie told Wood that he might be right; however, for now, he should just step aside and allow Adrian to do his work.

As Monk raised his hands and began to frame out each portion of the room, Wood explained the basics to Natalie about what he knew concerning the cause of death.

"We think she may have been a druggie. The autopsy showed a substantial amount of ketamine in her system." Wood explained.

"Ketamine? That's a sedative? Right?" Natalie asked.

"Yes."

"Well, is that likely to be abused?" she asked.

"Anything can be abused, Ms. Teeger. It's probably not one of the top drugs people will abuse; however, it can be used for pain management and has hallucinogenic effects as well. So, yeah. It can be addictive. They call it the 'Drug of War' because it was used for years in the military as an anesthetic in combat situations in order to calm patients down and to get them to rest so that operations and the like could be carried out."

Monk stopped what he was doing and looked at Wood, then Natalie. _Hmm...commonly used in the military. _ He didn't have to say a word. Turning back to his work, Adrian continued to scan the room as Natalie and Dale continued to talk.

"She was dead for a month when they found her. How did the autopsy show that drugs were involved? Wouldn't those be out of her system by then?" she asked.

"Hair follicle analysis. The coroner noted some dried blood on the inside of her clothing consistent with an injection sight, so he tested her hair in order to see what kind of drugs, if any, were in her system. I will show you that information if your commander has any luck with Fulton. That's where he ran into the Ketamine. Still no idea how it got there. We never found a syringe."

"Would a needle tip suffice?" Monk asked, interrupting.

"What's that?" Wood asked.

Monk reached into his pocket and pulled out his tweezers, slowly bending down to pick up a piece of evidence. Because his shoulder was still sore, he looked up at Natalie and then stood back up, motioning for her to assist him with gathering his find. She took the tweezers and bent down, immediately seeing the needle tip as it laid wedged between the carpet in Caroline's living room and the metal transition strip by the linoleum in her kitchen. The needle point had been broken off, was bent slightly at the tip and also appeared to contain traces of what was likely blood.

Wood walked over and pulled a small baggie out of the evidence kit that he brought along with him just in case.

"Well I'll be darned." Wood exclaimed. "An entire team of trained investigators and none of them saw that."

"None of them are Adrian Monk." Natalie said proudly, looping her arm around Adrian's and hugging it tightly.

Adrian smiled and then winked at Natalie as the three of them finished looking through the apartment and then headed back towards the station.

* * *

When they arrived at the station, the earlier hesitancy to deal with them over what was considered to be a closed case had suddenly eased. Apparently, Commander Stottlemeyer's call from the SFPD had engendered a change of heart. Detective Fulton greeted them warmly when they entered the squad room, where he immediately had folders and evidence laying out for them on the table.

"Please, Mr. Monk. Ms. Teeger, won't you come in. I…I talked with your Commander, who apparently knows my boss, well actually My boss's, boss's boss, Captain Tiller, from many years back, and he informed me in no uncertain terms about your credentials. Please. Accept my humble apologies and come in. I…I've assembled all of the evidence on the Caroline Shelton case. As you know, we consider it to be closed. But, there are witness interviews, forensic evidence, and…"

"Excuse me sir, you can add this to the pile of forensic evidence too." Wood interrupted. Fulton stopped.

"What is this?" Fulton asked, looking at the evidence bag.

"It is the likely instrument used to subdue Caroline Shelton."

Fulton took the bag and looked at the needle. "Looks like the end of a syringe."

"It is. And, it's bent on the end indicating that it was used with some amount of force. Look closely and you can see blood."

Fulton looked at the needle and then back at Monk and marveled. "You're everything that Commander Stottlemeyer said you were. I will have this sent up to forensics and have them test it for Caroline Shelton's blood."

"Also, for the presence of Ketamine." Adrian said. "I suspect that this was what was used to administer the drug and once she stopped fighting so much, the assailant then strangled her."

"Well, that didn't work out too well for him. As we said, the man left fingerprints on the actual murder weapon itself. It seems that fate stepped in for him and saw to it that he paid for his crime before we could." Wood noted.

"Yes, you said that. Do you have any information on this person, on his associations? Was he, by any chance former military?" Adrian asked. Natalie paid rapt attention.

"We have a full biography of the man including his rap sheet." Fulton offered. "It's all in that folder over there. Started out a petty criminal and graduated up to organized crime."

Wood walked over and picked up the folder then opened it up, handing it to Monk. Natalie came behind Adrian as he began to flip through the pages to read.

Suddenly, he froze in place and his whole body stiffened. As he stood there in stunned silence, the papers all slid from the folder in his hands and fell onto the floor.

"Adrian! Are you okay?" Natalie asked, alarmed at his demeanor. He was positively pale and Officer Wood was quick to come over and bring him a chair. Moving as if in a daze, Monk looked quite disturbed and then brought his hand to his forehead. He sat down.

"Adrian, What's wrong, do you feel sick? Darn it! I knew we shouldn't have made this trip!" Natalie said as he continued to stare at the floor.

Monk's eyes shifted while he pondered the new information. Then he stopped, slightly smiled and quietly shook his head yes. He raised his eyes to Natalie and took her by the hands. "Unbelievable!"

"What? What is it?" she probed, yet again. His eyes looked into hers with a knowing amazement. "You've got something, don't you!" she asked, recognizing _the look_. He looked down and to the left and shook his head yes again.

"I…I think I just solved the case." He said, raising his eyes to his girl once more. He looked up at Wood and at Fulton who displayed a quiet interest in what he had to say.

"You solved Caroline's murder?" she asked.

"But we already know who killed Shelton. His fingerprints were on the murder weapon." Fulton protested.

Adrian shook his head. "Yes, you know _who_ killed her, but you don't know _why_ he killed her or how it was all set up."

"So, you've got the evidence you need?" Natalie asked.

He looked at her amazed. "I think so...I've got that and so much more. We just need to follow through and get a few subpoenas, but it all makes sense.…Natalie, sweetheart...here's what happened..."


	35. The End of Albright

Three days after returning from Texas, Adrian Monk stood before the Commissioner, his beloved Natalie at his side, and Commander Stottlemeyer and Captain Disher at his right flank. He had spent his time in San Antonio gathering evidence and taking witness testimony as to what had happened with Lieutenant Albright and his fiancée. Now, as he stood in the middle of the Commissioner's office, he was fully prepared to brief him about what they had discovered and what was a far larger case than even he initially suspected.

"Here's what happened…" he began in a manner familiar to all in the room. "To the eyes of everyone around him, Steven Albright appeared to be a polite, handsome, mild-mannered, patriotic hero. He was smart and had good connections throughout his career. If ever there was somebody that was going places, it was him. And he knew it.

He came from a long line of Navy men and was pegged to be their successor. The plan was for him to come up quickly through the ranks, marry well, and then perhaps one day become a fleet Commander or even an Admiral. Caroline Shelton fit in perfectly with that plan.

Caroline was a beauty, quiet and unassuming - the perfect trophy wife. According to witnesses, they began dating shortly after they met in Austin at a charity event held to benefit children of US Navy personnel who were killed in the attack on the USS Stark in 1987 over in Iraq. This was before the first Gulf War even began.

Steven wooed her and won her, according to her friends, and soon they were engaged, although it was never smooth sailing after that. According to her best friend at the time, Cindy Powell, he began showing aggressive behavior towards Caroline about six months after they had gotten engaged. He was possessive and jealous and frequently accused Caroline of having illicit sex affairs with other men. Often, Cindy would notice bruises or find Caroline off somewhere crying. She would always say it was nothing and would always attribute the bruises to her own clumsiness or some small accident.

This situation went on for years, with Steven playing mind games with her, Caroline drawing away from him when he did, and then Steven pouring on the charm in order to win her back. It was a deadly dance.

He sent her to the hospital twice. The first time was in 1990. There was an incident in which Caroline's hand was badly burned by pressing into an electric coil burner on a stove. Cindy lamented that she knew Caroline's tale of her own clumsiness was a lie, because it did not explain the hand shaped bruise on her wrist.

Later, in the late 90s, when his friend Mitch Teeger was killed in Kosovo, Caroline saw that Steven was taking an interest in another woman, Natalie.

After many years of abuse, Caroline was finished. She told Steven in no uncertain terms that it was over and gave him back his ring. He did not take it well. Within days of the breakup, Albright came to her house and beat her to within an inch of her life. He threatened her and her family by saying that he would come finish the job if she ever talked. They kept her secret until the end.

Some of his familial connections in the Navy and politics helped cover for him and had him shipped out to the Persian Gulf where he stayed for most of the next decade. He went on to go build a somewhat successful Naval career for himself, having served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and rising to the rank of Lieutenant.

Eventually, he returned to the States and that is when he reconnected with Natalie. One of his shipmates was murdered and Steven had seen my picture in the paper standing next to Natalie. He deliberately asked me to investigate the murder, as a way to get close to Natalie. We were all on a submarine together, me, Natalie, and Dr. Bell..."

"Who is Dr. Bell?" the commissioner whispered, but Leland just waved him off and told him it wasn't important.

"He pursued my Natalie and after a little while he called her up and he asked her to um…" Monk rolled his shoulders and shook his head and she reassuringly rubbed his shoulder. "...Date him."

Funny how he had pretended this didn't bother him at the time. Now it bothered him a lot. Nevertheless, he continued.

"Just like he had been with Caroline, he showed himself to be this outstanding clean-cut, polite Naval officer with a strong set of values. Natalie knew him as one of Mitch's friends who'd always been friendly whenever he was around. But, he was really just still the same monster he had always been."

Natalie continued the story. "I first started seeing problems with Steven shortly after Adrian had recovered from being poisoned by Judge Rickover. I had been so concerned over Adrian and really thought he was going to die. However, when he lived, Steven became more and more possessive and jealous - insisting that I spend less and less time with Adrian and making it so that I couldn't even invite him over for dinner like I used to. Steven became verbally abusive and we fought. Yet, he would charm me and apologize, and we'd give it another go. His chief problem was, I wasn't Caroline. I knew that something was off, and soon I realized that, I knew that being with Steven was just not right. I didn't love him. I knew that I had to break up with him.

Still, before I broke up with him, I had to settle one thing that had always bugged me.

Steven once told me a little story about how Caroline Shelton had sobered up and then broke their engagement because she realized that she could do better than him. That didn't sit well with me because some of our mutual friends had told me that Caroline was basically a teetotaler and they were frankly surprised to see her with a party boy like Steven. So, shortly before he was to return from deployment out in the Pacific that last time, I hunted her down and gave her a call to hear her side of the story. I was stunned with what poor Caroline had to say – and to that day, she was very, very terrified of Steven Albright."

Adrian took over. "When Albright returned to shore, the first person he went to go see was Natalie. He expected a hero's welcome, and Natalie was polite, but she did the unthinkable and wisely and beautifully broke up with him. She tried to let him down easy, but Albright was not one to take rejection well. According to his own confession, he looked down at her kitchen counter and saw a phone number written on a scrap of paper. It had a Galveston, Texas area code. Since he knew his former fiancée's whereabouts from his continued stalking of her, he put two and two together. He knew that Natalie and Caroline had talked, and he also knew that if Caroline was talking, it could spell the end of his Naval career. So, he decided to silence her once and for all.

He had promised Caroline that if she ever talked, he would kill her. And so, he decided to carry through on that threat. Yet, it couldn't be like the last time. This time, he had to keep his fingerprints off of the matter. So, he contracted a former Navy buddy of his, who had been dishonorably discharged from assaulting a woman in Pensacola in 1995, to carry out the deed. The man called up Caroline trying to set up a meeting over something associated with her work, but Caroline saw through it and almost immediately moved to San Antonio. It didn't take long before they traced her there, and the man emailed Steven asking for instructions on how he wanted to handle it."

"We have the records right here." Randy Disher said, stepping forward with Albright's email records, which they had obtained by court order some thirty-six hours prior. He laid them out before the Commissioner.

Adrian continued. "Albright- a misnomer if I've ever heard one - told his contact that he wanted her taken out and sent him several vials of Ketamine from Naval Storage in order to sedate her enough to make sure the actual killing did not attract attention."

Stottlemeyer stepped forward and handed the Commissioner a folder containing records from the U.S. Navy. The commander explained: "The Navy found that the items were missing and presumed them stolen in a routine check of inventory. Albright was interviewed, however, since there was no Ketamine in his system, nor in his cabin when they did their investigation, they were never able to prove that he was involved and the Navy dropped the case."

Adrian walked over near the window in the Commissioner's office, continuing to talk as he walked.

"Albright's hit-man found Caroline's apartment in San Antonio and visited it one evening about four months ago. He drugged her, and then he strangled her. It all would have gone according to plan, except for the fact that he got sloppy. He left fingerprints. It was a month before Caroline's body was found and by that time the perpetrator of the crime was dead."

"Dead?!" the Commissioner asked.

"Yes. Killed in an explosion of a jewelry store in San Francisco shortly after he killed Caroline Shelton." Monk walked over to the commissioner and stood at the edge of his desk. "Yes, Commissioner. _That _jewelry store. You see, Steven Albright still had a problem. If Caroline was talking, she was talking to someone and that someone was my Natalie. Natalie, therefore, had become a liability. He knew he had one of two options. He could woo her back and convince her that they belonged together (which he knew was unlikely) or he could have her killed. If he went with B, then he knew that he would eventually be discovered because I would have been on to him like a bee to honey. So, I had to go too. He decided to go with plan B.

Since Natalie and I always travel together, he contracted the same hit-man to follow me and Natalie and to kill us and make it look like it was all part of some other crime. What he didn't count on was that it wasn't Natalie that was with me that day in the jewelry store, it was her daughter Julie. What he also didn't count on was the fact that the contracted killer, Tyler "Ty" Davidson Manville, and his cohorts would botch the crime. The plan was to rob the store and toss a bomb with a detonation device on it into the store after they left, causing an explosion that would kill both myself and Natalie. Instead, there was a struggle within the store in which Ty was accidentally shot in the throat. He fell on the detonator and the device exploded, and the walls to the Jewelry store came tumbling down."

"My goodness! So, you're saying that Albright had Shelton killed and then he tried to kill you and Natalie?" the Commissioner asked.

"Yes. And he almost succeeded," Monk confirmed.

"The good part, sir, is that Ty's two accomplices, the two that survived, they're singing like the vultures they are," Disher interjected.

"Uh, Randy…" Stottlemeyer whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Vultures don't sing."

Disher furrowed his brows. "They don't?"

"No. They don't." Leland replied.

"Oh."

Natalie continued. "When he discovered that the plan had failed, he thought he would try for plan A. He gambled on coming back into town, hoping to lure me away from Adrian where he would either pull me back to his side or see to it that I was far enough away from him that he could have me killed, just like Caroline. Outside of San Francisco, Adrian wouldn't have the access he would need in order to solve the murder."

"He gambled wrong." Monk replied.

"He never had a chance." Natalie said, smiling at her boyfriend, and taking his hand.

* * *

The Commissioner listened to the rest of the story and looked at the evidence. The team had clearly done its homework and he congratulated them on solving a case that was not only difficult, but was personal. While they were there, he called the district attorney down to his office to review the evidence. The D.A. hadn't always been on Monk's side due to some professional jealousy, but once he saw everything laid out before him, he agreed that it was time to swear out a warrant for the arrest of Steven Albright and he would see to it that his best prosecutor took the case.

"What's going to happen to him?" Natalie asked, not so much in concern for Steven's personal welfare but wanting to know how likely it was that he would ever again see the light of day.

"Well, Ms. Teeger, from what I can tell he has broken several state and federal laws by doing what he did. The state of Texas will likely charge him with the murder of Caroline Shelton. Given his earlier history with her, he will no doubt get life in prison for that alone. In the state of California, we have two counts of kidnapping, multiple counts of murder for those who died in the jewelry store, multiple accounts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon - all of which was malice aforethought. And, the military will take over from there. There isn't the same sense of double jeopardy for those in the military. He will be court-martialed, dishonorably discharged, lose all benefits gained hitherto and if the states weren't going to take care of him, they could even sentence him to death. In short, Albright is done. With the case you have built, I see no problem with sending him away forever. Nice work you guys. I wish all of my cases were this easy."

* * *

After leaving SFPD headquarters, Adrian and Natalie returned with Leland to his house where they were staying since Natalie's home was not yet ready for occupancy. Leland had called them when they arrived in San Antonio to let them know that part of her flooring would have to be replaced due to how far the blood had seeped through the floorboards, and once the crew got into the job they discovered the entire floor would have to be replaced which would take several days. T.K. took some pictures of some flooring options to show to Natalie since she didn't feel comfortable making the ultimate decision, and Natalie in turn asked Adrian which one he liked better. He said it was her house and whatever she chose was fine with him. Secretly, Natalie was considering what flooring would work best with Adrian's furniture and used that imagery when she determined which sample to go with.

Two days after Adrian had given his summation to the Commissioner, Natalie and Adrian were finally permitted to return to Natalie's home. They had mutually decided that they would take their walk-through of the house first before bringing Julie back with them and Adrian understood why. Going back into the house was going to be very difficult for Natalie, and if he was being honest, he wasn't quite sure how he would react at seeing the house again either.

The evening of their first date had started out so well yet ended so horrifically that it caused Natalie to have nightmares every night that they were in San Antonio together. Adrian would hear her cry out in the middle of the night and would rush to her room, holding her until she fell asleep again, before retreating back to his own room around four each morning. Now that they were back home, he had no idea of what they would face when she actually stepped foot into her house once again.

* * *

They held hands as they entered the house and her grip on his hand got uncomfortably tight the further they walked into the living room. Turning the corner, her eyes immediately trained on the spot where Adrian had fallen, where Steven had shot him. She remained quiet for a long time looking at that spot, then shook her head as if to say, _that's enough of that,_ and asked Adrian what he wanted for dinner. She simply knew that she couldn't dwell on things too much or she'd never be able to stay in her own home again. All she would say when asked about her shiny new floors was that was that T.K. had good taste.

Four more days passed with four more nights of having nightmares – each one culminating in Natalie running downstairs in tears, trying to reassure herself that Adrian was still alive. Exhausted and shaken, she knew that she could not continue this way, and instinctively knew what she had to do.

After a little over a week in the hospital, Steven had been released directly to San Quentin Prison to await his trial. Given the seriousness of the charges and the likelihood that he was a flight risk, he was denied bail. Knowing that he was there and now knowing all that he had done, and that which he intended to do, Natalie needed to see him. For her own peace of mind, she needed to look him in the eyes and face her fear. Perhaps then, she could get the nightmares to stop.

* * *

At first, Adrian was not willing to go along with Natalie's decision to see Steven; however, as was typically the case, she persuaded him to go along with her plan. He agreed to ask Leland if he could arrange for the meeting in a way that also maintained Natalie's safety, and she was correct in her presumption that he did so because he expected the commander to come up with some official-sounding reason as to why the visit wouldn't be possible – that way, Adrian wouldn't have to be the bad guy and tell her no.

Unfortunately for Adrian, his little scheme didn't work. Leland informed the prison of Natalie's desire to meet with Albright, and Steven wanted to see her as well. The only saving grace for Adrian was that Leland didn't sound any more enthused about this idea than he did. But neither one of them were about deny her the visit and the next day Leland picked them up at her home and drove them to the prison.

* * *

Natalie had spent the entire night thinking of what she would say to Steven when she saw him and even wrote down bullet points on a little note card that she carried with her into the jail. But she wasn't emotionally prepared for what happened next.

As soon as she walked past the cell-block, she saw Steven being escorted from his cell down the hall towards an empty visitors' area just ahead, guards surrounding him on every side. His prison-issued orange jumpsuit was belted with a metal chain around his waist that connected to his handcuffs, and the shackles on his ankles clanked as he walked. As he approached her, his eyes bored into hers with a look that said he despised her and he wished he had killed them both that night. The guards forced him quickly past her, but he spit on the ground in front of her as he past. Looking back, he smirked. Natalie shivered despite herself, the look on his face was what she imagined Caroline Shelton must have seen the night he beat her.

Immediately, she turned and walked away, so fast Adrian had to scramble to catch up with her. It wasn't easy, and he wished he'd brought his cane. As he watched her cry, it nearly broke his heart. He wanted to tell her that Leland could take them home right then, no questions asked, but he knew that wasn't Natalie's way. She had gone to the prison for a reason and it was Adrian's job to support her in any way he could. So, he held her in his arms and whispered what he hoped passed for words of comfort until she stopped crying, and then he wiped her eyes with his thumb. Finally, she nodded and told him she was okay and was ready to go back and talk with Steven. She could be strong - for Adrian's sake, for Julie's, for her own. As long as she knew Adrian was there waiting for her when she was finished, she would get through it and they could go home.

So, with Adrian and Leland promising they'd be there if she needed anything, Natalie slowly stepped forward and called for the guard and asked to be taken to where she and Steven would be talking.

* * *

Natalie sat down across the table from Steven, brushing off some non-existent lint on her jeans and lifting her head so she was face-to-face with Steven Albright. This was her last chance to tell her ex-boyfriend what he had done to her. There was no choice. She had to confront him not only for herself and for Adrian, but for Caroline. Caroline who had ultimately given her own life to make sure the next woman in Steven Albright's life stayed safe – she was Caroline's voice.

If Natalie was going to do this she was going to do this the right way, she was going to show him that she was strong and that he hadn't beaten her. And that meant looking him confidently in the eyes when she talked to him.

"Hello, Natalie," Steven said evenly. "I appreciate you coming to see me. I assumed you'd be angry with me for allowing your defective detective to be shot. I hope I didn't set back his recovery too badly."

Natalie blinked multiple times to keep the tears at bay. If she squinted, she could almost imagine that he sounded sincere, but now she knew better. She knew that was the psychotic personality talking. And she refused to give him back the power and satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"You don't care about Adrian. You don't care about me or the innocent people that were killed when the jewelry store exploded. Everything you did was about covering up what you did to Caroline."

Adrian's-voice-in-her-head encouraged her to be louder and project confidence. She swallowed. "Don't think that I'm here for you because I'm not. I'm here for me, because Adrian Monk and I are going to have a good life together. He's a good man and he doesn't deserve for me to waste one second thinking about you. So, after I leave here today, I won't."

The man across the table from her in the prison jumpsuit smirked. "Yes, you will. Every time you look at him, you'll think of me and how I almost killed him and took everything away from you."

"But you didn't," she told him. "You didn't kill him, and you didn't kill me. We survived your reign of terror, Steven. Caroline Shelton wasn't so lucky, but we're going to make sure she didn't die in vain. You're going to be held accountable for her death and the death of all those innocent people."

Steven shrugged. Ty was dead because he botched the jewelry store explosion and if he had done it right in the first place, and killed Natalie and Monk, Steven wouldn't have had to take matters into his own hands to see that the task was accomplished. He wouldn't have had to stalk Natalie and there would have been no hostage situation that night. Ty and his incompetence were the only reasons that Steven was in jail.

"The people in the store were unwanted casualties," he said. "They weren't supposed to be hurt. They didn't deserve it."

"Like Caroline and I did?" Natalie challenged him. "You said something to me at the Policeman's Ball, Steven, that I want to remind you of. You said that you were sure Adrian didn't 'make me feel the way that you did', that 'no one would love me the way that you did'. You were right."

The fury in his eyes cooled for the time being and his smirk twisted into something resembling a smile. Natalie shuddered inside at Steven thinking she was saying anything positive about him and hoped Adrian and Leland were close outside so they could leave soon. She didn't want to stay there a second longer than she had to. But she needed to finish this, for her own sanity. She smiled, but it wouldn't ever reach her eyes.

"You used your declaration of love as an excuse to treat me the way you did. I'm sure you did the same thing to Caroline, every time you hit her, each time you beat her. But that's not how you love someone. Adrian has taught me every day what love is supposed to be like and what it's not supposed to be like. He says I'm beautiful and doesn't mean it as a way to get what he wants from me. He doesn't think that my body is all that I'm good for - unlike you. He knows what _no_ means, Steven. And he lets me have an opinion on things, and do you know what? He's proud of me when my opinions are different than his. He doesn't beat me into submission. He doesn't hit or beat me at all, because that's not what's supposed to happen when you love someone." Natalie felt no shame, now, in letting the tears fall. "I'm thankful every day that I met Adrian Monk because he makes me a better person instead of bringing me down. I couldn't think of any other man that I'd want to be my partner for the rest of my life and more importantly, to be my friend. I only wish Caroline had been so lucky to meet someone that treated her well instead of an abusive pig like you."

Natalie leaned forward to where she was close enough to Steven Albright to smell his breath. Clearly, hygiene wasn't first on the list of priorities in prison, she thought.

"You wanted to take the best man away from me that I've ever known and for that I don't know how to forgive you. I will, though. My boyfriend will show me how." She patted his cheek and straightened the collar on his prison-issued jumpsuit. "I can't tell the military or the judge or the jury what to do, but personally, I hope you die in prison." And for the first time in days she didn't feel guilty about thinking it. "And, I hope that you get what you deserve while you're in there."

Steven actually made a motion like he was going to get up from the table and the guards on either side of him placed their hands on their weapons and forced him back down.

She finished. "So, you were right. Adrian doesn't make me feel the way that you do. No one ever could if they were a good person. But, you were also wrong - after I leave here today, while you're rotting in jail until you die and I'm out enjoying a life of love and freedom with my brilliant and handsome detective, I will most definitely not be thinking about you. You're simply not worth the time nor the energy it would take to think about you at all. You're a nothing and a failure and that's all you're ever going to be."

With that, she stood up and nodded at the guards. She was ready to go. The guard opened the door and she walked through it, immediately throwing her arms around Adrian who was standing just outside.

Monk looked over at Albright yet showed no emotional reaction whatsoever. Inwardly, he knew that to give Steven anything, be it anger, or hatred, or fear - it would be to give him exactly what he wanted - what his psychopathic mind needed. That wasn't going to happen. Instead he looked down at his Natalie and smiled. She had done what she came to do and now it was time to go home. The terror that Albright brought into their lives was at an end.

* * *

In the car in the way home, Natalie mused that she doubted a single thing that she had to say really had affected Steven at all. How does one actually get through to a person without a conscience? But that didn't really matter. What she did was not for him, but for them. And with everything said and done, they could now move on.


	36. The Second Date

Adrian Monk stood in front of the bathroom mirror straightening his tie, making sure that he looked exactly right for his and Natalie's second date. Their first date had started out so well but ended so horribly. In fact, he was certain that the only way that their date could have ended any _worse_ than them both almost being murdered by her psychotic ex-boyfriend, was if Steven Albright had actually succeeded.

Adrian begged her for a "do-over" date, and she kissed him and told him yes, she would love to go out with him again; but she wouldn't count it as a do-over. Up until the part where Steven had tried to kill them, their first date was practically perfect and included wonderful memories of their dance together at the Policeman's Ball and their first kiss. In no way did she ever want to forget those things or pretend they didn't happen as one would with a 'do-over.' Nevertheless, whether they called it a 'do-over' date or not, Natalie had said yes to going out with Adrian a second time, and that was good enough for him.

He excitedly worked out a plan for exactly what they would do that evening. First, they would have a romantic dinner for two at the one of the finest restaurants in San Francisco and then an evening in the park where one of Natalie's favorite bands would be performing. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, aside from the distinction of this being their second official date. In the past month, their relationship had progressed way past being "just friends." In fact, the transition from friendship to a dating relationship had happened much more smoothly than Adrian had anticipated and while a change that significant would normally have frightened him, he generally felt no fear when he was with Natalie – especially when he was kissing her.

For Adrian Monk, that had been one of the most surprising things about growing closer to Natalie in that way. He had always felt a sense of comfort around her, but once they had turned that corner and actually (_finally!_) kissed, he discovered that he _really_ enjoyed it. And, wonder of wonders, Natalie seemed to enjoy it too. Amazing! Natalie Teeger seemed to enjoy kissing him! Adrian Monk! Be that as it may, they wouldn't dare give one another much more than a peck on the cheek when they were around other people, even Leland and Randy, and especially not around Julie. Privately, Natalie wasn't at all surprised by this. She was still Adrian's assistant and whether it was at work or around her daughter, she would have expected a certain level of decorum. So, while there might be a time where public displays of affection would happen, she certainly didn't expect them to happen now. The Policeman's Ball had been an exception not the rule, and, he was still Adrian Monk. And she loved him for who he was.

But all of this was his public persona. In the privacy of 'their' home, he was very different. In fact, in the month since Steven's incarceration and the rebuilding of the life and relationship they had together before Albright arrived, she had witnessed an utter metamorphosis in Adrian's personality. He was happier and more demonstrative and had developed this _thing_ with her that she secretly referred to as "their nightly ritual."

It went like this.

Julie consistently went upstairs every night around eleven and Adrian would wait fifteen minutes before leaving his downstairs bedroom and texting Natalie to join him in the living room. From there, he would meet her at the bottom of the stairs and lead her to the couch where they would make out like teenagers to the sounds of late-night television for the next couple of hours. His hands never wandered where they shouldn't go, and she never pushed for more than what she felt he was comfortable with. It was all quite romantic, but Monk also considered it quite safe since they obviously couldn't do anything more than 'neck' given that Natalie's daughter was never more than a floor away from where they were and could come down the stairs at any moment and see them doing whatever it was they might be doing. As such, he felt confident they would 'keep it clean' and was able to relax into this activity that both he and his girlfriend so obviously enjoyed.

For her part, Natalie loved him and was content for now with the whole arrangement. She _loved_ the thrill of sneaking out of her room every night and meeting up with Adrian on the couch as though they were doing something naughty. In the days following the trip to San Antonio, she and Julie cleaned out the storage room in the back of her house and moved Adrian's bed and personal items in there. She thought more and more of her home as now 'theirs' and steadfastly refused to consider the idea that he would leave. She refused to talk about it with anyone. Having Adrian as a part of their home and their family was exactly what she and Julie had needed since the day they met him. She wanted him to stay - forever.

As her boyfriend, in the bedroom downstairs, it didn't matter -she would take him in whatever capacity he was willing to give her.

* * *

Adrian checked his watch for the tenth time - it was five fifty-eight and he told Natalie he would pick her up at six. He rolled his shoulder and straightened his jacket, smoothing down the sides of his hair with his hands as he took one last look in the mirror. He didn't have much raw material to work with, he thought, so he hoped that he could at least look as nice as was possible for his Natalie. Little did he know that Natalie did not share his view as to his physical attractiveness and would be more than willing to share that opinion with him frequently.

Monk reached for his cane and a small bouquet of flowers, ones he knew were Natalie's favorites, then he went out the back door. He didn't need the cane anymore for walking, but he still used it as support whenever he went up or down stairs. He worked hard to avoid getting mud and dirt on his navy-blue suit, as he made his way carefully through Natalie's side yard. Checking his watch once more, he used both his cane and the handrail to slowly climb the stairs to her front porch. At precisely six o'clock on the dot Natalie's doorbell rang. Monk couldn't stop himself from smiling when he heard footsteps from inside the house and heard Natalie fumbling with the latch on the front door.

As the door swung open, there she was, smiling at him, and for a good thirty seconds he was unable to say or do anything but stared with what he was uncomfortably certain was a stupid, frozen grin on his face - not that anyone alive could blame him for being a bit blown away by what he saw. It wasn't that Natalie wasn't beautiful to him all the time, but as she stood there that evening in her navy-blue satin and lace dress and her matching diamond and sapphire earrings, she simply took his breath away.

"Well, don't you clean up nice?" was the first thing she said, her eyes sparkling with an emotion that he couldn't quite pinpoint. "Adrian, you look _so_ handsome," she purred as she showed him in.

He blushed and then his eyes shot up to hers at the seductive tone in her voice, and she grinned at the way he looked at her. _Score one for team Teeger,_ she thought excitedly.

"I just have to tell my lovely daughter that my date is here and then I'll be ready to go."

Adrian finally found his voice and thrust the flowers into her outstretched hand, considering what would be the proper next move before bringing her free hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. "You're exquisite, my Natalie. So very, very beautiful." His eyes twinkled with laughter. "I can't believe you ever agreed to date me."

"Best decision I've made in a long, long time," she assured him, taking a step towards him and fully intending to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him until they were interrupted by Julie who walked into the room and gave both Adrian and Natalie a wolf-whistle the minute she saw them.

"Look at you two, all dressed up for your second date! Both of you look fantastic!"

Monk and Natalie simultaneously gave a frustrated sigh and then, mirroring each other, they grinned and shook their heads, laughing to themselves at Julie's impeccable sense of timing.

"Don't worry," Natalie murmured, absently running her hand up his arm. "We'll have plenty of time for kissing later tonight."

Adrian smiled and closed his eyes at the simple way Natalie touching his arm affected him, but then acted a little self-conscious when Julie came over and straightened his lapel. "Behave yourself with my mother tonight, Adrian Monk," she told him with a wink. "Be a gentleman. And don't keep her out too late. You know what the curfew is in this house, mister."

Before Adrian could even open his mouth to retort that he had no intention of not being anything but a gentleman with her lovely mother, Natalie was back with a shawl covering her arms and shoulders and in her hand was a clutch handbag that went with the colors of her dress. He hadn't even known she'd gone.

Natalie returned to his side and reminded Julie there was dinner in the refrigerator for her and her phone was on if there were any problems. Julie waved off her mom's over-protectiveness. She didn't anticipate needing either of them for anything, and just wanted them to have fun on their date.

* * *

Throughout the evening at the restaurant and then later at the concert, Adrian and Natalie were both very attentive to each other, but internally their thoughts were in two completely different places.

Adrian's mind was focused on ensuring their date was a good one and that meant doing and giving her anything that he thought would make her happy. The only reward he hoped to have in the end was simply to see her smile and to look at him the way she was looking at him right then. It had been almost thirty years since he had dated anyone and frankly it would be mortifying to have to ask Leland for advice on this subject, so he was hyper-diligent to make sure that everything would be just right.

Natalie's thoughts, on the other hand, had drifted ahead to what would happen between them after the date. Would he retreat to his bedroom at the end of their date, or would he stay with her in the living room? She loved the romantic candlelight dinner, the concert, the park and the slow dancing; and, everything he was doing to ensure this date was successful was not lost on her. In fact, just this one date counted for at least a hundred karma chips, she was sure. But what she loved even more than their date was just being with him. He was her best friend for so long, and now they were so much more - so much _wonderfully_ more. She very much wanted to demonstrate to him, in a meaningful way, how much she loved him and how much she wanted him to be a permanent part of her life and her home.

* * *

The hours passed in a blur of happiness as they laughed and held hands and enjoying being in each other's company. Occasionally, when no one was watching and they were standing close together at the park, she felt his arms wrap around her from behind and felt him nuzzle into her neck. Natalie could practically see and feel him relaxing as the date went on.

For his part, he couldn't imagine feeling happier than he did when he was with her. Dating Natalie was a euphoric and completely new experience for him that he never wanted it to end. He'd finally started to live again after so long, and like he'd told her right before he'd almost kissed her in her living room so long ago, there was no going back from this - not that he would ever want to go back to being simply friends with this woman. But this - loving Natalie - this was for keeps. He wanted to keep this feeling and keep her this happy for the rest of their lives.

As the concert ended, Natalie's head drooped to his shoulder and she gazed at him through sleepy half-opened eyes. Monk wrapped her shawl around her, kissed her forehead and suggested that they head home. It was getting late and the temperature was dropping. She readily agreed and reached for his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

* * *

When they returned home at around 9:30 PM, Monk was surprised to see Julie rushing through the house with a blue-jean jacket draped over her arm and her purse wrapped around her wrist. She frantically moved through the house, throwing the purse on the dining room table, and began looking under each and every chair. As they watched the spectacle, Monk gently took Natalie's shawl from off her shoulders and folded it as neatly and precisely as he could. The shawl had not been stitched correctly leaving it slightly asymmetrical, and Adrian wasn't quite sure how Natalie could even stand to wear it. Natalie sensed his displeasure at the seamstress' workmanship as he was folding it and took the shawl back from him with an amused grin.

"Hi honey, did you lose something?" Natalie asked as Julie continued her search. Julie had barely recognized they had come in and only looked up when she wanted to see what time it was according to the clock on the kitchen wall.

"Cell phone…cell phone…cell phone," Julie mumbled, her eyes now busily searching the living room furniture for any sign of her phone. Finding her phone in between two cushions of the couch, she let out a triumphant yell and tucked it into her pocket, then rushed to the table and grabbed her purse before running over to the window, apparently looking for her ride.

Seeing nobody was there yet, Julie let out a relieved sigh and immediately apologized for not greeting them properly when they returned home. "Sorry! I, uh, couldn't find my phone and my friends are going to be here soon. How was your date?"

"We had a wonderful time," Natalie admitted to her daughter, blushing and leaning back against Adrian when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek in front of Julie.

"Julie, you and Amy and Bethany have to be careful at the concert tonight," Natalie said. "I don't like the idea of you three out there by yourselves at night all alone."

"Mom, I'm eighteen, I'll be - "

Adrian's arms tightened around his Natalie's waist and he held her close, looking disapprovingly at Julie. "A concert? Neither of you said anything about a concert. Isn't it a little late for that?"

Julie blinked and did her very utmost to look innocent. "Didn't I? Must have slipped my mind. Mom said I could. Some friends from school and I are going to a Green Day down at the Independent tonight."

"Friends from school?" Adrian asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Amy and Bethany. You've seen them here before," she replied.

He still didn't look convinced, or any happier. "And you're going by yourselves, the three of you? There won't be any boys with you?" he asked.

Julie grinned. She hadn't seen Adrian ever acting so parental before. It was interesting, **very** interesting, and very eye-opening to where her mom and Adrian's relationship was heading even at this early stage.

"No, Adrian," she assured him, winking at her mom as she walked closer to the two of them. "No boys, I promise. So, no…_you know_..."

Adrian looked confused. Clearly he didn't know to what she was referring. So Julie whispered the words in his ear and Adrian flinched away from her, shooting her a look that had Natalie's shoulders shaking in her attempts not to laugh.

"Thank you, but _that's_ not what I meant. Your mother is right to be concerned about three young women out by themselves in this big city at night. All sorts of bad stuff happens, all the time. Natalie," he whined, looking at his girlfriend. "Are you okay with this? You told her she could go?"

Natalie nodded. "Amy and Bethany have been Julie's best friends since she was twelve. You've met them. They're all responsible girls and they've had this planned for almost a month. They will be fine. Julie will be fine."

"I'm an adult now, Adrian. I remember everything that you two taught me about how to be careful and not to take chances and how to be aware of my surroundings. I'm not by myself. We'll be in a group. It'll be fine. Really," she told him. "I'll even tell you all about the concert tomorrow."

He furrowed his brow. "When are you going to be home?"

Julie's amused smile suddenly became mischievous, as for the second time that night, she straightened his lapel. She patted him on the chest. "I _won't _be coming home tonight. We're staying at Amy's for a study sleep-over."

* * *

Adrian's eyes grew wide and he swallowed nervously as the implication of Julie's words ran over and over again in his brain like a freight train barreling down the tracks. Julie wouldn't be back until the next morning, sometime. This would be the first night since their relationship had officially turned romantic that he and Natalie would be alone in the same house together all night. He knew how well things had been going and how much he and Natalie had enjoyed peeling back this new layer in their relationship, but he also knew the passions that had been stirred up ever since the dance, and suddenly became extremely nervous and uncomfortable. He sat down in a chair and rolled his neck and then looked up at Natalie who stood there in her beautiful dress looking stunning and wearing a flirtatious smile.

He closed his eyes. "M-maybe you could study here," he mumbled, but Julie had already left the room.

Natalie walked behind his chair and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, resting her cheek against his. Her breath soft and warm in his ear, she whispered with emotion, "Thank you for worrying so much about my little girl. I am so, so grateful to have had you in her life all of these years, and I'm happy you're here now." She dared to take the chance. "I'm also happy she's leaving. We'll have some time to be alone."

As he sat still in his chair she nipped at his earlobe, slowly moving down to his neck and collarbone, continuing to kiss him. All too soon she stopped, and he thought perhaps he could begin to breathe somewhat normally again. But she started to massage his shoulders, murmuring something about how tense he was, all of a sudden, and he needed to relax. How were they supposed to have a nice night together if he didn't relax?

"I…I…I'm fine," he stammered in response, instinctively melting into her the more she touched him. "Natalie, please, I..."

A horn honking from outside interrupted them and Adrian silently blessed the obnoxiously loud noise. Julie came back into the room and glanced at Adrian and Natalie suspiciously. "Mom, before I leave, do you mind leaving Adrian and I alone for a minute?" She smiled at Adrian, a devilish masked-as-innocent smile that reminded him entirely of her mother when Natalie inevitably would convince him to do something he in no way wanted to do.

Natalie looked back and forth between her boyfriend and her daughter, cocking her head in confusion, before ultimately shrugging and telling Adrian she'd be right back after she changed out of her dress into something more conducive to couch-sitting.

* * *

The minute her mother was gone, Julie went to the front door and yelled to her friends that she'd be there in a minute and came back to sit by Adrian in the kitchen. She looked him up and down and grinned.

"As you know, I'm going to be leaving for the night." she began. "You and my mother will be alone all night for the first time since you started dating, and I just wanted to take a few minutes to see if you had any questions."

Adrian looked perplexed. "Questions? I..."

She put her hand on his arm in a way he was sure was supposed to be reassuring, but it only made him more nervous and confused.

She continued. "Just in case you wanted to...talk...You see, the years between fourteen and um...fifty-two are a very confusing time for a man, and you know...your body's changing..."

Adrian turned red and bowed his head so he wouldn't be able to look at her. He immediately understood the role reversal and his mind flashed back that weekend four years ago, to the embarrassment of giving a fourteen-year-old Julie _the talk_. He still didn't know who that had been more humiliating for - him or her. "Julie, stop..."

Her wide smile seemed to get even wider. She was enjoying this entirely too much. "You're going to start _feeling_ things - new things - things you haven't felt before, and it might be confusing for you...you're going to wonder how to act and what to do..."

If it was possible for him to turn even more red, he would have. "Okay, Julie...I...your friends are waiting for you. It might be good for you to go now."

Julie giggled, watching his face carefully to make sure he was only embarrassed and mildly irritated with her and not genuinely upset. She saw how he struggled to maintain a straight face and relaxed. But she couldn't resist getting one last dig in. "I can call Commander Stottlemeyer if you'd rather talk to a boy about this."

He shot her a mock-glare and shooed her away. "No...no thank you. You go on and have a good evening with your friends. Be safe. We'll be here if you need anything and we'll come get you if you want us to, no questions asked."

Julie stood and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "If we have any trouble, which we won't, I have Commander Stottlemeyer's number and his wife's, too. I'll call them - so the two of you won't be disturbed." Julie winked. Then, she smiled and waved when he told her to call him or Natalie no matter what, and when she reached the front door she turned back for one last time and one last comment. "Adrian, for the record...I'm really happy for you and mom. I couldn't think of anyone better than you that I'd want her to date."


	37. The Night Alone

As soon as Julie shut the door, Natalie sashayed into the room eager to begin her night alone with her handsome Adrian. The detective glanced up at her but had to look down when he noticed what she had changed into - a t-shirt that hugged every curve and drawstring sleep pants that hung low on her hips. She wasn't even wearing a robe like she normally would.

Oblivious to the warring emotions fighting for dominance in her boyfriend's head, Natalie glanced out the window as she went to the refrigerator to get some bottles of water for them both, then listened for any sound. Julie must be gone. Right on schedule.

Walking away from the refrigerator, she purposefully pressed herself against Adrian as she handed him one of the bottles.

"Julie's friends came to get her?" she asked. He nodded but didn't look up.

"Is…everything okay between the two of you?" she probed, continuing to make conversation.

Adrian nodded quickly. "Her friends picked her up. She's…everything is fine. She just wanted us to have a good ti_." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Um, that is…she said she was happy we were together."

Natalie knew he wasn't telling her the truth but was content to let them have their little secrets if it meant they were bonding.

Looking over at him she noticed how nervous he seemed. Placing her hands on his robe, she started to rub and massage his shoulders again. "You still look tense. Do you want me to draw you a bath? Or, how about this… how about I make us some popcorn and we can watch a movie?"

He considered this, but when her hands lowered ever so slightly to his chest he jumped and turned around in his chair to take her hands in his.

"N…no movie tonight" he replied.

"No?" she responded, surprised.

"No. But there is something else I'd like to do, if you don't mind. If it's not too much trouble. Tonight is perfect because Julie is gone."

Natalie bit down on her lower lip and smiled shyly at her boyfriend, running her hands through his hair. "What would you like to do that we can't do while Julie is here?" she cooed.

Adrian stood up, excited, and pulled Natalie with him toward the kitchen. "I would very much like to - organize your cabinets. One of these days I want to cook a home-cooked meal for you and Julie and…Natalie, I'm sorry to tell you, but your spice cabinet and pantry are not conducive to cooking."

His exasperated girlfriend blew out a frustrated breath and had no choice but to follow him. At least, maybe if she was helping him, she could speed this process along.

* * *

It took half an hour for Natalie and Adrian to take everything out of her pantry and spice racks, and another hour to put everything back. In the end, everything was organized according to a system that met Adrian Monk's standards. All of her pantry items and spices were now alphabetized by first letter and then organized by size, so if she ever wanted to look for something, she could find it at a glance.

She had been very patient, but the ticking clock on the wall continued to remind her that their time alone together was passing quickly. As he continued to work, lining up labels so that they each faced a certain direction, she began to feel frustrated toward him. But then he glanced over at her with that half-smile of his that had slowly driven her crazy the last month and thanked her for letting him fix this for her.

"You'll thank you later." he said with a wink, and she bit her lip and sighed as all frustration melted away. He was so happy cleaning and organizing like this, and her pantry did look better. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

She kissed him on the cheek, whispering softly in his ear that she _would _thank him later, and then told him to finish up and she'd be back in a few minutes after she texted Julie to make sure all was well.

Adrian closed the pantry with a self-satisfied smile and wiped his hands with a dishrag, stopping in the bathroom to wash up before changing into his pajamas. A few minutes later, he headed back to the couch to turn on the television to catch the end of the news and the weather report on channel ten.

* * *

Natalie was gone for quite a while, and he figured his little cleaning spree along with their evening out had probably rendered her too tired to stay up any later. But, just in case she wanted to snuggle, he stuck around a little while longer and waited for her on the couch.

He had just leaned his head back against its backrest and closed his eyes when he felt a shift in weight on the cushion next to him. Opening his eyes, he saw Natalie, her smooth skin being accentuated by a blue glow from the television and her warm body leaning against his. Her lips glistened and she looked down at him through sultry eyes whose pupils eclipsed a blue-green field below. He startled at her touch. And as he breathed in, he took in the smell of her freshly shampooed tresses, noting an alluring scent that smelled of lavender and sandlewood, a combination that he found both relaxing and seductive. His throat went dry, as with eyes wide-open, she leaned in and covered his lips with her own, drawing his willpower away from him as all five of his senses were lit ablaze. And before he had time to think very much about what she was doing or how close she was to him or how Julie wasn't at home at all or how he had tried to distract them from all of this by cleaning her cupboards, Natalie leaned in closer and kissed him again.

Adrian didn't think. He felt.

For the first time in a long time he allowed his feelings to take control and he responded to her touch and her kisses with equal passion, tugging her into his arms and deepening the kiss as soon as she responded positively to his touch. His hands never left her waist and she remained beside him, but for five minutes they kissed with increasing passion.

His mind warned him of the _incoming danger_, and it implored him to _slow down_. But he ignored what his mind was saying. It felt too good, he was enjoying this moment too much. He was enjoying Natalie. Her soft kisses. Her warmth. Her loving caress. She made him feel so - alive! Soon, his mind was screaming STOP but his body was telling his mind to SHUT UP. And for the first time in a very long time, he turned his mind off.

For the past two weeks, ever since Adrian had asked her for a second date, Natalie had inwardly debated seducing Adrian to move further in their physical relationship. They wouldn't go "all the way", of course, just further than they had gone so far. At least that was her plan. When the date happened to coincide on a day that Julie was going to be out of the house, she took that as a green light to move forward.

She and Adrian had only been together a month, that was true, but he shocked her with his willingness to connect with her not only emotionally, but physically. Physical touch was definitely one of her love languages and she quickly found that she wanted more from her relationship with Adrian than just kissing - though she certainly wasn't complaining about the kissing. Sometimes, against her better judgement, she allowed her imagination to wander to what it might be like if she and Adrian were to...

Natalie's mind stalled when Adrian's hand hovered over the uncovered strip of skin that showed between the bottom of her t-shirt and the waistband of her sleep pants. Then, he finally allowed himself to touch the bare skin on her waist. Just that step for him was monumental and Natalie knew it, but that one little touch so electrified her that she just couldn't help herself from doing what she did next. She knew she was taking a massive risk, but she had to try. She sat up on her knees and used his shoulders as leverage to get up from the couch and stand on the floor. Immediately, she kissed him again and took his hands in hers, murmuring his name quietly, a hint of nervousness in her voice that she knew that ninety-nine percent of the time he would have noticed. Not now. He kissed her back with equal hunger and blindly followed her as she led him toward the stairs.

For thirteen, almost fourteen years, Adrian Monk had been alone by circumstance and by choice, becoming expert over the years at sequestering himself to a state that befit his last name. He was married to Trudy and even after her death thought it to be unfaithful to her if he allowed himself to think of another woman or even consider his own physical needs. Everything had changed, now. Natalie Teeger had changed him. And it _felt_ exhilarating.

In his mind there was a stubborn voice that was getting louder, that told him to _stop_, he and Natalie deserved better than this, he needed to be the one to _slow things down_. But he didn't want to listen to that voice. He _very, very, very_ much didn't want to listen to that voice.

Natalie tugged on the sash of his robe, her feet hitting the bottom step of the stairs. She took a step up and beckoned him to follow her. Never once did they break their kiss.

The voice in Adrian's head was now blaring as loud as the police sirens at the station and he could no longer ignore them as badly as he wanted to. He ached for her, more than anything he wanted to go upstairs and be with her, to express his love for her in a way that he knew she wanted so much. But his mind kept telling him _No! Not Now! It's Not Time!_ Then it whispered, _There will be a better time, a more special time, just not tonight._ Adrian alone knew what that time would be.

He had just raised his foot to step on the bottom step when finally the voice in his head broke through, screaming **_STOP_**!

Immediately, he pulled away from her, breaking the kiss, and then closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply grabbed onto the bannister, trying to get his bearings and calm himself down. After a few seconds, he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, stepping back down to the safety of the hardwood floor at the base of the stairs.

Natalie breathed heavily as she stood unsteadily on the second step. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice ragged.

He paused, looking everywhere but at her. "I...I'm sorry. I can't. We can't do this," he said breathlessly.

Natalie looked a little dazed and flushed, her lips still tingling from his kisses, and none of this was helping him in his resolve to make sure they didn't take things further. Neither was the way she reached forward to hesitantly touch his arm hoping she hadn't horribly offended him. She was so beautiful, so alluring, so…

"We - we don't have to go upstairs," she offered timidly, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears. "If it's your leg that's bothering you and trying to climb the stairs...your room is just over there...we could..."

He was quiet and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robe. Her simple touch had set him on fire and he had to pull away immediately, making the tears swimming in her eyes spill over. Adrian felt horrible. "No, Natalie. It's - it's not my leg. I just - I just can't do this with you tonight. I can't be with you like you...like this. N-not tonight."

Natalie staggered up the stairs and sat down on the fourth step - _as far away from him as she could get_, he thought miserably. She hugged her knees to her chest and lowered her head, and he heard her quietly begin to cry. He ached to comfort her but was smart enough to know she wouldn't be receptive to his comfort at that moment considering **he** was the source of her unhappiness.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions as she tried to make sense of the many questions bombarding her senses at that very moment. And since there was no ready or obvious answer, she naturally tried to fill in the blanks. Each thought seemed to cause her heart to break a little bit more.

Adrian had said that he couldn't do this tonight. Was he just being a gentleman and trying to let her down gently? Would he _ever_ be able to do this? He enjoyed kissing her - she knew that Adrian Monk of all people couldn't fake something like that - but maybe that was as far as he was willing to go. Maybe he didn't want her in the same way she wanted him. She knew he had only been with Trudy in _that_ context and maybe it was too hard for him to think of being with anyone else.

Adrian sat down on the bottom step and reached for Natalie's hand. He promised himself that when he started dating Natalie he would do anything to make her happy and now he was making her unhappy. Every part of him wanted her, wanted to follow her upstairs to her bedroom and be with her in that most intimate of ways, but he'd learned to trust his mind and inner voice over the years and his inner voice told him what he already knew. It wasn't the right time for them. They weren't ready. And he knew it. And he knew, that deep down- she knew it too.

"Natalie, sweetheart, I - I love you." he whispered.

Natalie shrank away from his touch and once again hugged her knees to her chest. "I thought you wanted to be alone with me. You were the one that started our...nighttime activities after Julie goes to bed every night. I - I thought that meant you might have...wanted..." Natalie hid her face with her arms.

"Sweetheart, listen. It's not you. It's me." he replied.

She looked up at him, her eyes rapidly blinking away painful tears.

Adrian was silent. He didn't know anything to say that would make this better. In all the years he'd known her, he knew that Natalie felt different about physical intimacy than he did. She was always more open, more able to talk about the subject and apparently more willing to open herself up to new experiences with men she dated. That wasn't to say that she was a woman of loose morals. He was certain she wasn't, particularly after she asked him of all people to give Julie _the talk_ about waiting for the right person and the right time and not just give that part of herself away freely to the first guy whom she had a crush on. But physical touch was something that came natural to her it was a part of who she was, and he shouldn't have expected anything different.

On the flip side, it was not necessarily a part of who he was. In general, Monk didn't like touching people - at least not most people. Natalie was the one exception, but even with her, his desire to touch her had come slowly, albeit beautifully. Yes, he loved when Natalie touched him and he often would reciprocate that touch; and, since their dating relationship had begun, they could add kissing to the mix. But, touching her was one thing - a huge thing for him; making love, that was something entirely different. She should have known this. She knew how he was about these things. She had screened all of his movies for sexual content for years, for crying out loud! She should have known!

So why couldn't she understand? This was who** he** was. It had **always** been who he was. Perhaps it was his fault for not explaining himself to Natalie and making his expectations and limitations clear, but she'd known him for seven years and she _knew_ him. He was hoping she would have known and taken his sensitivities into account without them having to have an extremely uncomfortable conversation.

But was it really her fault? He had responded. He could have said no before things escalated. But, he didn't want to. He was as much - no, _more_ to blame. He shouldn't have led her on only to let her down. How could he explain how he really felt, without her giving him that sad look as if he somehow found her undesirable? He desired her entirely _too much_ and that was the only reason he stopped.

Natalie scrambled to her feet and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her t-shirt. "I'm sorry, Adrian, if I pushed us too far and tried for something you weren't comfortable doing. But it's late now and I'm feeling tired. I think it's best for me to go upstairs to bed and for you to go to your room."

"Natalie!" he cried out, using both of his hands to pull himself to a standing position by the banister. "Please, Natalie, let me..."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him he had done enough. She didn't want to listen to him explain why it was that he didn't want her. But she stopped herself from saying those things out loud. It wasn't fair.

"Goodnight, Adrian," she murmured quietly. "Thank you for a lovely evening. I hope you have a nice rest of your night and that you sleep well."

Adrian watched as she turned away from him and walked upstairs. Moments later he heard the door to her bedroom close loudly. It wasn't quite a slam, but the intention was the same, and he flinched at the sound and Natalie's sadness that undoubtedly was behind it.

He stayed in that place for a long time, sitting on the bottom step of Natalie's stairs. He and Natalie had now been on two dates in a month and they were two for two in dates that started well but ended with Natalie hurt and/or in tears. Maybe all of this was his fault. Maybe he had underestimated how difficult dating again after thirty years would be. Maybe he had underestimated how difficult going from friendship with Natalie to dating Natalie would be.


	38. The Answer

That evening, Adrian did not sleep at all. He had hurt Natalie deeply and that hurt him. He wanted a chance to explain to her, to help her understand. But how could he do that when he barely understood it himself? Up until this point, Monk felt he knew himself pretty well – at least regarding _this_. But that evening had turned his understanding on its head.

As he laid awake, staring at the ceiling, he pondered how he could have possibly gotten everything so drastically wrong. How could he have gone through all the time and trouble to give his Natalie the date she deserved, only to wind up breaking both of their hearts in the end?

Natalie hadn't changed. She was the same adventuresome, demonstrative, loving woman she had always been. For him to have expected her to be any different just because they were dating was just dumb. It was himself that he had misjudged. He was the one who had reacted differently to their dating relationship than he would have ever anticipated himself doing. He was the one who had opened the door to physical closeness, from their lying next to one another in the hospital and her giving him his baths to their nightly ritual on the couch – it was him. He had encouraged their relationship to head in this direction and quite frankly, he was as surprised by it as anyone.

To be fair, Adrian didn't have a long track record to judge what 'normal' for him would be like in a dating relationship. In truth, prior to Natalie, Trudy was the only woman he had ever been close to in that way. And, if his approach to dating relationships were to be judged by that standard, then two words would describe how it would be. _Tame_ and _Traditional._

But that's not how it had been with Natalie. Dating Natalie was an entirely different breed of cat. They began as friends and the love grew gradually. But when the floodgates of romantic passion opened for them, what had been a source of comfort (her physical touch), unleashed a primal drive within him compelling him to want more. In short, when their acts of physicality - the kissing, the sustained times of snuggling on the couch, the activation of all five senses in relationship to their interaction - collided with his touch starvation and deep love for her – there were fireworks. It was really quite shocking but also invigorating. Adrian had told himself that he should be repulsed by such things, but instead, he had relished in it and he wasn't one bit ashamed.

That was, until that night. Up until that point, Adrian now realized, he and Natalie had been playing with fire around a powder keg. Tonight, that powder keg went off. And he was ashamed – not that he had felt these things towards her nor that he had wanted to go upstairs with her to be with her in that most intimate of ways, but that he had hurt her and that he had done so when it all could have been avoided.

He should have been honest with her and shouldn't have just assumed that she knew him so well that she would have known that there were boundaries as to where their physical relationship could go, at least at this particular time. He shouldn't have tested those boundaries and pushed them right up to the edge, to where they had almost reached the point of no return. He should have been honest with himself that being with Natalie was not at all like being with Trudy. They were two very different women, and at this point in time, he was a different man than he was thirty years ago. He only hoped that it hadn't destroyed his romance and relationship with Natalie forever.

* * *

The next morning, he was sitting at the kitchen table sipping on some coffee when Natalie came downstairs at her usual time. Neither one of them was hungry, but he at least encouraged her to eat a little toast and join him while they read the morning paper. She didn't want to talk, and he was okay with that. What he wasn't okay with was the tension in the room and the feeling that he had royally messed up their relationship. She was formal and polite, but not herself at all. He guessed he deserved that and wished he could fix it, but he didn't know how.

At 9:30 AM the phone rang and it was Commander Stottlemeyer, letting them know that there had been a body found on Grant Avenue near Lombard. Adrian was in the bathroom shaving when he heard it come in. He listened as Natalie took the call and spoke to Leland, getting the details of when and where. Then, he heard her ask Leland if he could stop by and pick him up, indicating she would not be "tagging along" with them that day. This disturbed him, but he said nothing, as he dried his face and walked back out into the living room, looking to see where she had gone.

She spotted him first and walked up to him with a sack lunch in one hand and a note in the other.

"That was Leland on the phone. He said there has been a murder down on Grant. I told him I'm not feeling up to going out today and asked if he could pick you up. I'm not sick, so don't worry. He and Randy should be here within the next minute or two since he was driving when he called. Here. I packed you a lunch." She said, handing him the sack and the note with the details of the crime on it, but not looking him in the eye.

Taking the lunch, he reached out and touched her arm. "Natalie…about last night."

She drew in a deep breath and looked up at him, and from the puffiness around her eyes, he knew she had been crying. How horrible he felt that he had caused her tears.

"Adrian it's alright. It's already forgotten. I'm fine. Don't worry. It's okay."

But of course, he would worry about it. He would worry about it all day and until they got it resolved.

He smiled slightly, then leaned in to kiss her. She turned her head and they both gave each other hesitant kisses on the cheek.

"I love you. You know that. Don't you?" he asked.

She smiled sadly. "I do know that, Adrian. Be careful today. I'll see you tonight."

He nodded, then looked out the door, seeing Leland pull up outside.

A few moments later, the three men were off, and Natalie watched as they pulled away, her heart aching inside at the questions which plagued her mind. Had she fooled herself? Or was she just overreacting? Who could say? All she knew is that she longed to be with Adrian, to bring back that comfort and warmth of just being beside each other, to bring back that sense of trust. She had taken a risk, trying to push Adrian further than he wanted to go and she was afraid now that she had messed things up and that he would want to return to being just friends- something she was afraid she wouldn't be able to do. Oh. What had she done?

* * *

Randy was the first to speak as Leland pulled out of Natalie's driveway towards the murder scene, saying that Natalie didn't look very sick to him. It was only Leland's immediate glare in the rear-view mirror that prevented Randy from saying anything else. For that, Monk seemed grateful.

Leland continued to watch his best friend carefully as they proceeded towards Grant Street. Natalie rarely took days off at crime scenes, even when she was sick, and he could tell from the moment that Monk got in the car that something was off. For one, Monk hadn't noticed or said anything about the chewed gum that Randy had just spit into Leland's cup-holder. That wasn't like him.

Leland had long since come to terms with the idea that even on his best day he wasn't half the detective Monk was, but he could sense that something was wrong between Monk and Natalie. But Monk didn't look like he was in the mood to talk about it, so Leland wasn't about to bring it up. It would be better for Monk if it was something he could work out and work through on his own.

Leland admired Monk's ability to compartmentalize and today was no different. It was obvious to him that something was troubling his friend, but he was still able to focus and pay attention and get the job done. The evidence Monk found within minutes of arriving at the scene would later play a significant role in solving the case, something that would undoubtedly put Randy in a foul mood when he found out.

It wasn't until the three were back at the police station in Leland's office that what had been bothering Monk began to surface. Leland watched as Adrian walked into his office and began to pace like an animal in its cage. He reminded himself not to say anything while Monk hovered around his desk and began touching lamps. Then, he and Randy watched as Monk walked over to the door and peeked outside making sure that Leland's secretary was otherwise engaged, and then shut the door to Leland's office.

Randy opened his mouth as if to ask what was going on, but Monk beat him to it.

"Leland...Randy...um." Adrian began.

Leland looked over at Randy as if to tell him to stay silent and let Monk talk and both men waited patiently for him to speak. Monk looked uncomfortable- the way he looked when he wanted to talk about something that was hard for him but didn't know how to start.

"If we're not busy right now, that is, if there's nothing that needs to be done that's time-sensitive about the case or another case we have to work on...w-would the two of you mind if I asked you some questions?" he said.

"About the case?" Randy immediately asked. It wasn't often - or ever, really - that Monk wanted to ask _him_ questions about an ongoing case and Randy wanted to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasted. "See, the victim was stabbed with a screwdriver..."

Monk turned away and touched the lamp on Leland's desk once more. Leland pulled it back to where Monk could no longer reach it, and Monk stopped.

"N-no," he stammered. He looked down and took a moment before looking back up at his two friends. "N-not about the case. It's personal. I need some advice. It's, um..."

"About Natalie and why she isn't here?" Randy interjected. "You want us to help you figure out what you did wrong?"

Disher shrank back at the intensity of Commander Stottlemeyer's glare and tried to quickly recover. "N-Not that you did anything wrong, I just - she isn't here, she's always here, and you said you wanted to talk to us about a personal thing."

"Randy, shut up and let him talk," Leland barked, motioning for Monk and Randy to sit down.

"What's going on, Monk?" Leland asked, his voice quieter. "You don't really...ask for advice very often."

Monk moved the picture of T.K. on Leland's desk to make it even with the one of Leland and his boys. Leland looked annoyed and moved T.K.'s picture where it was originally, then waited for his friend to say something. When nothing was forthcoming, he sighed. "Monk, us giving you advice will work better if you tell us what's bothering you."

Monk looked nervously at his friend. "Can I...ask you a question?"

Leland's attitude softened. "Of course you can, buddy. Go ahead. Nothing said in here will go further than the three of us." The commander looked at Randy.

Monk looked apprehensive but spoke more quickly this time around. "Can I ask you a question about T.K.?"

Leland hesitated at the unexpected request but nodded his consent. He knew that Monk wouldn't ask anything inappropriate. "Sure. What about her?"

"How did you…know?" Monk began. Moments went by before he was able to ask his next question. "You and T.K. weren't together very long before you...how did you know so soon? How did you know that she was your answer?"

Randy looked puzzled. "His answer to what?"

Neither Leland nor Adrian paid him any attention.

Leland was silent for a long time and Monk worried that he might have asked too personal of a question. They had been friends for thirty years and talked about a lot of things over those thirty years, but to this day there were still certain topics they didn't talk about in too much detail. The downfall of Leland's marriage to Karen was one and the first few months after Trudy's death was another, along with a few other personal things. He wasn't sure yet where T.K. fell in the topic category.

"Monk, I could tell you a list of things like how she supports me and how she's better at dealing with me being a cop, or that Jared and Max liked her from day one, but none of that is going to help you because my relationship with T.K. is different than Randy's relationship with Sharona, and both of them are different than your relationship with Natalie."

Leland quickly moved away his cup-holder of pens and pencils when Monk reached out like he wanted to examine the ones that weren't even.

"It wasn't one big revelation that made me know," he continued. "It was a lot of little things that showed me how well she fit into my life and how I couldn't let _this one_ get away."

"What he said, for me too," Randy said after a few moments of silence. "About Sharona, not about T.K." Leland glared at him and Randy held up his hands. "Sharona understands me. She supports my music career, which is a really, really big deal..."

Leland decided to hurry up and cut Randy off before he and Monk heard about the latest exploits of _The Randy Disher Project_. Meanwhile, Monk had indeed taken one of his pencils and was writing something down in his notebook. Leland decided to leave him be for the moment, at least he wasn't touching the lamps anymore.

"Um...after that...how did you - when did you know it was time to take the next step?" Adrian asked.

Leland paused. For the most part he thought he had a decent grasp on how his best friend's mind worked, but at the same time surely Monk wasn't thinking of marriage so soon. He and Natalie had only been dating for a month, and Leland knew how long it had taken Monk to get up the nerve to propose to Trudy. Leland was also confident Monk wasn't referring to sex as the next step. So, after those two things, he was out of ideas. Monk was clearly trying to hint at something without saying the words out loud and Leland doubted that talking to him one-on-one later, without Randy around, would yield different results. Thus, he gave the safest answer he could, one that would ideally cover a wide variety of scenarios.

"There's not a time-table to follow, Monk. You'll just know when the time is right. Every relationship is different. What worked for me and T.K. won't necessarily work for you and Natalie. You'll know, though."

The confused look on Monk's face told Leland that he hadn't been any help at all to his friend. But Randy was nodding, in what could best be described as barely-contained excitement, and the police captain turned his chair a few feet to face Monk.

"Don't worry, man, I can totally help you out with this." He said, reaching out and touching Monk on his arm. "I can see now why you came to us. Trudy was, uh, your only one, wasn't she?" Randy didn't wait for an answer. "Now, before anything, you have to talk to Natalie and figure out where she is."

"Where she is? She's at the house. I don't understand."

"No. Where she is parked – mentally. What are her thoughts? Sharona and I had to talk about it, because, I mean, she already had Benjy, and Benjy's grown, and she didn't want to start over with the whole kid thing, which of course started a conversation about birth control. Natalie, um, that's her business, she probably already knows what works best for her, and I can take you to the store and show you what type of protection I buy because, well… you haven't done that in, what, thirty years?"

Monk looked across Leland's desk at him in horror. Leland without prompting reached in his desk and handed his stress-relief yo-yo to Monk.

As Randy continued, Monk begged, "Leland, please, for the love of humanity, make him stop!" He then reached for the lamp on Leland's desk and Leland shook his head moving the lamp back to where Monk could reach it.

Leland rubbed the back of his neck in secondhand embarrassment for his friend. "Randy, what in this conversation made you think that Monk would be talking to us about sex?"

Randy looked chagrined. "He's not?" He turned to Monk. "You're not talking about...?"

"N-no!" Adrian cried in indignation. "Why would I talk to the two of you about _that?_! For Pete's sake, I don't even talk to Natalie about _that_!"

Randy's face got serious. "You really should. Someday. Julie's the same age as Benjy, Natalie might not want more kids." He turned to Leland. "Right, Commander? You've got two kids that are grown or almost grown, I assume you and T.K. had a talk about whether or not to have more?"

"Shut up, Randy," Leland growled, his face clouding over. "Monk wasn't asking about any of that and you know what happens when you assume."

Monk stood up from his chair remarkably fast for someone that still needed his cane to walk long distances. "Thank you both very much for - not helping me at all. Now, I'm going to leave and go for a walk and think about things." He turned back to Leland. "Of course, if that's okay with you. If you don't need me for anything else."

Leland held out his hand for his yo-yo. "Monk, you can't leave. I drove you here. I'm your ride home, remember?"

"I'll call a cab." Adrian replied.

"You hate cabs," Randy interjected.

Monk glared at Randy. "I think after being given advice by you about…_that_… and all those other things my mind will be more than occupied so that I won't even worry about how disgusting the cab is."

Leland ordered Randy to leave and go call Monk a cab and then spoke to his friend when Randy was gone. "I'm sorry about Randy, buddy," he said, quietly. "He means well, you do know that, don't you?"

Monk twitched his shoulder uncomfortably and Leland, unfortunately, took that as a no. "If you want to talk more, you know what my number at home is."

Monk nodded and went to retrieve his cane where he had left it resting against the door to Leland's office. He pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from his notebook and dropped it on Leland's desk, and then he was gone.

Leland unfolded the note - ten perfect folds, he thought ruefully, of course. He wouldn't expect less from Monk - and then barked out a single laugh when he read what Monk had written in his perfectly symmetrical block-letter style handwriting.

_SINCE WHEN DOES RANDY HAVE A MUSIC CAREER? SHARONA MUST LOVE HIM VERY MUCH IF SHE SUPPORTS THAT._

* * *

Adrian walked out of the police station and then took a stroll down the city streets. He had lived in the San Francisco area all of his adult life and had rarely taken time just to view the sights. He saw several things that made him turn away, reminding him why he lived away from that part of town, but then he saw other things that captured his attention. He watched as an elderly gentleman held the door open for his wife and then she took him by the arm with a smile as they walked out of her doctor's office. A couple of blocks later, he sat down in a park where the laughter of a child caught his ear as the child giggled "Daddy!"

Monk had been through a lot in his life and had seen many things that others never dreamed of – many of which he wished he hadn't. But there was a lot of life that he had never gotten to experience that he wished he had. He had gotten to experience the love of a woman. But the tragedy of the loss of his wife had held him back for so many years, that he had almost missed out when love came around the second time around in a most unexpected way. Trudy had wanted children, but he was afraid. Now, years after her death, he had regrets about having told her no. After talking with Randy, he considered what Disher had said. There were so many things that Natalie and he hadn't talked about, children being one of them. And now, he wondered if it would be something she would want.

And then there was the issue of sex. He knew that he couldn't do _that_ with her at this present time, no matter how badly both of them wanted it. He didn't know if it was part of his upbringing or if it was just the way he came, but he felt there was a proper order to how relationships were to go – and while he tended to ignore how others chose to live their lives, for him, he knew of only one context that he could engage in that particular activity and feel comfortable. Natalie obviously felt differently about the timing aspect of this, which was something they probably should have talked about before things had gotten so serious between them.

But they didn't. They hadn't talked about any of this, and he knew why. It was just too darn uncomfortable and it felt like it was presuming a certain end to their relationship that neither one of them was supposed to know – although he himself pretty much knew what end that he wanted with Natalie very early on in their relationship.

And so now here he was. Stuck in this mess of his own making, simply because he couldn't have an honest adult conversation with the woman he loved. As he continued to walk down the street, he mentally kicked himself for being so weak, and he felt clueless as to how to fix things or how to proceed from there.

Sheerly out of force of habit, he made a right at the corner and entered through a gate into a lovely garden. As he continued to think, he stopped and leaned against a tree, and then looked up and saw where he was. Directly in front of him was a black and grey tombstone inscribed with the words:

TRUDY ANNE MONK

1962-1997

BELOVED WIFE AND MOTHER

He swallowed. "Trudy." he whispered as he sat down and stared at this monument that he had visited so many times before. Only this time, he immediately knew things were different, and he knew why. Trudy wasn't there. She was gone. And the biggest surprise of all? He wasn't sad. The last time he saw her, she told him it was time to say goodbye, and now he knew why. She was telling him that he didn't need her anymore. For so many years, the visions and dreams of Trudy were the glue that held him together in the wake of her death. But he hadn't seen nor heard anything from her in so long and he had been okay. Of course, he would always love her. Nothing could ever change that. But he no longer needed her presence to help him go on. He had been able to let her go and was now able to stand on his own.

For the rest of the afternoon, Monk sat there, resting in the sunlight and thinking through the various events of his life and how he happened to end up at this particular location on this day. As he considered this, he knew that there were two people in his life that he would go to when he wanted or needed advice. Leland Stottlemeyer and Trudy Monk. On this day, he had naturally gone to both of them, and neither one provided the solution to what was troubling him. And, as the sun began to set and the cool breeze began to blow through the trees, heralding the coming of night, Adrian stood to leave. He smiled and walked over to the tombstone then kissed his hand and laid it on the stone.

"I've got to go now. I know you're not here anymore, which is good for you. But, I sorta wish you were here to help me figure out the answer to this problem. You were always so good at that sort of thing." He paused and listened, but there was only silence, then he said goodbye and turned to walk away.

He had walked no further than three steps when he heard a voice. It was not hers. It was his own. "Natalie is your answer. And you know what you must do."

He paused for a moment as that sunk in, then he nodded, walked to the tree where he retrieved his cane, and then pulled out his phone and called a cab. It was getting late, and he needed to get home. He didn't want Natalie to worry.

As he hung up the phone, he placed it back in the pocket then smiled. Trudy was right. He didn't need her or Leland to tell him his answers. They had been within him all the time.

* * *

Natalie jumped when at 6:38 PM, she heard a car door shut as a taxi dropped Adrian off in her driveway. She peeked out the window and saw it was him, then ran to check her appearance in the hall mirror before calmly walking to the door to let him in.

Monk raised his hand to knock but dropped it again when he heard the door being unlatched from the inside and looked up as Natalie quickly opened it. His eyes crinkled slightly when she looked at him and gave him a relieved smile. Then, she pulled him inside and into her loving arms for a tight hug.

"Adrian, I've been worried sick! I talked with T.K. about an hour ago and she said that you left the station somewhere about three-thirty and that you wouldn't let Leland drive you home. Where were you? I was afraid that…I thought that you…"

He held her tightly in his arms as a tear ran down her cheek, and then held her even tighter as she buried her head into his neck and quietly sobbed. He kissed the side of her head telling her not to cry, and then kissed her gently on the cheek telling her that there was no need for her to worry and that all was okay. When she pulled away, she started to use the side of her hand to dry her tears, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out a clean cotton handkerchief and used it to personally dry her tears.

"I'm sorry." She sniffled. "I didn't mean to come unglued like that. It's just…it's been a really hard day."

"I understand." He said, stroking her hair. "And, I suspect that I am likely the cause of that. Here. Come on into the living room with me and let's talk." He said, leading her to the couch while he walked quickly to the refrigerator and brought back two bottles of water.

Returning to the couch, he sat down beside her, opened her bottle of water and his and took a sip before setting it down on a coaster and turning to face her. Taking both of her hands in his, he took a deep breath, determined to be honest with her about how he felt, no matter how hard that would be.

"I…I took a walk."

"With your cane? Wasn't that hard?"

"No. It was okay. I just needed to get out and think for a while, to be alone so I could figure out what was happening – about what happened last night."

"Adrian, that was all my fault. I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have…" she said.

"No, Natalie! It wasn't. It wasn't at all. I don't blame you in the least. I can't even entirely blame myself. What happened was, well, normal – considering how close we've been in recent weeks. It was a very natural thing. But…what happened wasn't okay. It wasn't okay what I did to you, how I let us go so far and then…"

"Oh, Adrian! I'm the one who pushed us in that direction. You were just sitting on the couch about to nod off when I came over to you and…"

"No. I bear the responsibility for what happened and how I handled it. And I want to apologize for hurting you. That was never my intent. I never want to hurt you. I never want to make you cry, and yet I did. And, I'm sorry for that. Will you forgive me?"

Natalie looked at him in the eyes. He was such an innocent at times. Forgive him? How could he possibly think this was his fault?

"Adrian. There's nothing to forgive. I'm the one to blame here. I'm the one that tried to seduce you. I tried to take advantage of our time alone and…" she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Natalie, you do know it takes two to tango, right?" he said, placing his hand under her chin. "Please don't cry. I don't like to see you cry."

"But I'm the one who initiated it." she sniffed.

"I am a grown man." He countered.

"I know you are, but you were just minding your own business and even had us reorganize my cabinets…

Adrian chuckled. "Well…They did need reorganizing... besides, I…I thought maybe it would be safer that way."

Natalie paused and looked at him quizzically. "Safer… from me?"

He looked down and bit his lip. "No. From me. Natalie, I love being with you every moment we're together. But…when we're together like that, sometimes, it's not safe for me to be that close to you."

She furrowed her brow and he continued. "Natalie, sweetheart. You're making me feel feelings that I haven't felt in… in EVER! Not even with Trudy. I mean, Trudy and I…we did…but you've awakened things in me that I didn't even know existed…and frankly…I am feeling a bit overwhelmed."

Natalie softened at this admission of feelings. "I didn't mean to overwhelm you. I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me and how much I love you."

"But, Natalie, you do that every day by your encouraging words and your giving spirit. I have never had to doubt for a moment whether or not you love me and believe me, for me, that's a huge gift. We don't have to…_you know_…for me to know that."

"I know we don't, Adrian. But, here's the thing…I love you so much that I want to express that to you in EVERY way possible…including…THAT!"

He smiled and then furrowed his brow. "Why?!"

"Why what?"

"Why would you want to do…_that_…with…me? You could have any man you wanted."

"Well, apparently not. I wanted you and you told me no."

He sighed. "Natalie. You've got me. You have me entirely. And, I didn't tell you no…exactly. Just…not yet. We're not ready sweetheart. That's all I'm saying. It's too soon."

"So you're saying that you didn't pull away last night because you didn't want me…"

"Not at all."

"Oh! What a relief! And… you're also saying that you're not ruling out that someday we might…"

Monk swallowed. "You never can tell."

She leaned back and looked at him. "You never can tell? Never can tell?!" she said, pulling away from him and mock punching him in the arm. "What kind of answer is that?"

"Well…" he laughed. "What do you want me to say?!"

"What I want you to say is, yes Natalie…I foresee a day where it may be entirely possible that I will not drag you into your kitchen and make you reorganize your friggin' pantry with me because I am too afraid to make love with you!"

Monk opened his mouth "Natalie Jane! I would NEVER say such a thing!"

Natalie's expression turned serious. "You wouldn't?"

"No! Absolutely not!" he replied, shaking his head. "When have you ever heard me use the word 'friggin''?" he said, looking at her and flashing his dimples at her as he grinned.

Natalie grabbed a pillow from the couch and started hitting him with it, causing him to laugh as he grabbed a pillow from the other side and began hitting her back – actually, hitting her pillow – he would never strike her, even with a pillow.

Finally, she walloped him hard enough that he collapsed backwards onto the couch. The two burst into laughter and she went in for one more strike, but he grabbed her by the wrist and took hold of her waist, snatching the pillow from her hands and pulling her down on top of him so he could deliver a fiery kiss.

When at last they moved away, she looked dreamily down at his face and smiled. "You win." She said.

He looked back up at her and smiled. "I win? What do I win?"

"Anything you want." She said airily, leaning down and kissing him some more.

He kissed her back and then leaned away. "Anything?"

She looked at him. "Yes, anything…except perhaps if you're wanting to clean out the front hall closet."

He chuckled, but then grew serious. Taking a deep breath he then looked at her nervously. "Okay, if you really mean it" he closed his eyes. "Then I'm going to have to ask you for something that is not going to be easy for either one of us. But, I think right now, at this present juncture, it…it may be necessary."

Natalie sat up and moved to the couch cushion beside him. "Alright. Go ahead." she said, nervously.

He took her by both of her hands and looked in the eyes. "Natalie…today, when I went for my walk, somehow, I wound up at the cemetery by Trudy's grave."

Natalie's eyes dropped. In spite of how many times she had been there with him, due to the intense love he and Trudy shared, she couldn't help but feel a little insecure when the connection between Monk and his late wife came into view.

"No sweetheart, it wasn't that way. I wasn't going to talk to Trudy. She's gone, and honestly, I'm glad for her. I'm glad she's finally happy and not having to take care of me."

Natalie looked back up and smiled. "Why did you go there?"

"Honestly, I think it was habit. It was a place I went so often just to think. And, I just kinda stumbled in there. But, it was a good thing I did. Because, Natalie…after last night, I've been so torn up knowing that I hurt you, that I just didn't know what to do. I even tried to talk to Leland and Randy about it."

"Randy?!" Natalie said with surprise.

"Yeah. Don't ask." He replied. "But, going to the cemetery today, it turns out it was exactly what I needed. I just needed to clear my head out a little and focus and realize that I've known the answer all along. Natalie. _You're _my answer. And I think I've known that all along, but I really knew it as I sat there today. And…here's the thing…I know this, and I am kinda still working some things out internally, but I'm willing to move forward, but I just need you to be a bit patient with me."

A tear rolled down Natalie's eyes and she smiled. "But of course. I can be patient. I mean, how many years has it been so far?"

He laughed. "And, I need you to know that no matter what or how trying this might be, I love you."

"I know that, Adrian." She said, taking his hand. "And I love you."

"And, just one other thing. As soon as I get the all clear from Dr. Werner in two weeks, I think, it's time for me to move out."


	39. The Treasure and the Token

"NATALIE! WAIT!" Adrian shouted as he heard the screen door slam shut. Shaking his head, he grabbed his cane, walked out through the back door and onto the porch. Natalie had not taken the news of his moving out well and had run away. Standing by the banister, he looked for her, but the sun had set making it difficult to see. So, he steadied himself with his cane and went down the back stairs and into her yard.

"Sweetheart, where are you? …Awe...don't make me hunt for you. It's dark out." He said, moving as quickly as he could through the yard and into the shadows. There he saw her, sitting on the ground under a little crab apple tree, her arms around her knees, crying and rocking back and forth.

Mentally, he chastised himself for not handling this better, but steadied himself with the knowledge that he needed to fix this and fix it quickly.

"Natalie. Darling. Please." He said.

"No. Adrian. Just go away." She said.

"But…" he protested.

"I, I can't talk about this right now." She replied.

He stood there, helpless, for about sixty seconds, then he spoke.

"Then fine, be like me." He said, turning back towards the house and throwing his hands up in the air.

"What?" she asked, incredulously.

Turning back, he continued. "You're acting just like me. When hard subjects come up and there are things you don't want to face, you just run away. That's what I did with you and Steven. Wasn't that exactly what you got upset with me for?"

"You were hurt! I didn't know if you were safe." She said sharply.

"True. But you were also upset that I didn't stay and hear you out, and that I jumped to conclusions that were the opposite of the truth. Isn't that right?" he asked.

There was a long pause and then she looked up.

"Yes." she whimpered.

"Fine! Well, that's exactly what you're doing here. You've taken my words, not letting me explain, and jumped to a conclusion that I can pretty much tell you is the exact opposite of what is true, and you've run away." He said.

She was quiet and her eyes followed him as he walked over and stood by where she sat underneath the tree.

"Natalie, I need to talk to you." he said, his voice softening. "I planned on talking to you before and what I would say to you…but I really need to explain to you about last night and about why I feel like I can't stay here anymore…note…I said stay _here_, I did NOT say stay with_ you_." He said.

She looked up at him, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. _Maybe she wasn't losing him_.

"Now, won't you come back outside? It's dark out here and there's bugs and nature and stuff… and… I saw a spider coming down from that tree limb over there…" he mumbled.

"You want me to kill it?" she asked with a wry grin.

He thought for a second. "No. As long as he stays out here, and we go in there, I'll be fine."

"Alright." She said softly, standing slowly, she reached for his hand as leverage to stand up, then he took her by the hand, interlacing his fingers around hers and kissed her on the top of the head. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she put her hand upon his back and they walked inside together.

* * *

As they entered the house, he walked her over to the couch and asked her to sit down while he turned on the burner on the stove to make her a nice cup of chamomile. She anxiously watched as he moved around her kitchen, as if it were his own and then woefully blinked back tears as she considered that soon she wouldn't be seeing that sight any longer. He was almost well, for that she was happy. But, the events of the past twenty hours had left her shaken. His speech to her at the beginning of the evening had been beautiful and she thought she understood. But once he told her that he was moving out, her understanding went out the window.

Adrian returned carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it and set the tray down on her new coffee table that had replaced the old one broken during his fight with Steven. He picked up her cup and brought it to her lips, encouraging her to take a sip while he held it for her. She took a sip and then took the cup from him, gently smiling a nervous smile as she put the cup back down on the tray and then placed her hands in her lap, giving him full attention.

He reached forward his hand and placed it on hers while taking his other hand to brush a strand of hair off of her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. Having done so, he gave a satisfied smile and then looked her in the eyes. He took his thumb and dried her tears and then brought her close to him for a hug, kissing her on the forehead. As he held her close, he spoke.

"Natalie. I'm sorry. I handled this entirely the wrong way. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. I shouldn't have just blurted that out and upset you. I…I just thought it was fair to let you know so that we can get prepared…"

"Adrian…it's okay. I understand." She said, tears whelming up in her eyes.

"You do?" he asked, leaning away from her but then seeing her tears he said, "Awe, sweetheart, no. No. I don't think you do."

He pulled her close to him again and she began to cry, wrapping her arms around his neck and saturating his shirt with her tears. He held her for a long time, patting her and trying to comfort her as she let all of the nervous energy from a day's worrying pour out. When it finally seemed she was slowing down, he leaned back and cupped her chin in his hand and gently kissed her on the lips.

"My sweet, sweet Natalie. Darling, don't cry." He said. "Please, don't cry. Tell me what's going on in your mind right now that's hurting you so. Let's work through this."

Natalie sniffled and placed her head on his chest again, and then sat up, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. He looked down and tried not to look a little disgusted by the action, but instead reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of wipes, using them to clean her up. Folding the wipe into a neat little square, he placed it on the tray and then looked her in the eyes.

"Talk. What is worrying you?" he said.

"It hurts. I don't want you to go, but you're leaving. And I guess, I'm afraid." She replied, looking down.

"Alright. Fear is something I'm well acquainted with. We can deal with fear. Tell me what you're afraid of."

She thought for a moment about how much he sounded like Dr. Bell at that moment, trying to get her to discuss what was on her mind, but maybe that was the right thing. If it helped him, maybe it would help her.

"Alright." She sighed. "When you left this morning, all sorts of things were going through my mind. All sorts of things about last night and about how we left things. Things about why you pulled away from me, and things…well, things about me."

He tilted his head but decided not to probe for specifics just yet. "Go on."

"Adrian, I know that you love me. I know that part of you wants to be with me. You can't fake that. But, I also know…" she exhaled. "Trudy."

"Awe, Natalie…" he interrupted, shaking his head.

"No, Adrian." She said, placing her fingers on his lips. "Trudy has been the only woman that you've ever loved up until now and I…I'm worried that maybe part of the reason you're feeling overwhelmed is maybe because you feel guilty about me - because of Trudy."

He began to speak but she wouldn't let him "No. Let me finish. Adrian, I think maybe both of us underestimated how hard it would be to date one another and I think part of you maybe wants to return to the way things were, because then we could be together and be friends and you didn't have to think about maybe betraying Trudy by having a relationship with me. So…you're moving out because of that, which is really sort of par for the course with me and relationships anyway, since no man I've dated has chosen to stay in my life, so part of it must be something about me too that I somehow drive men away…but this time, Adrian, this time it isn't like the other times…this time it really hurts, because I…I really love you. I didn't love any of those other men. But, now that we are together, it really hurts to think that we won't be…" she said, beginning to cry again.

Monk sighed.

"It's okay if you want to go back. I just want you to be happy." She said.

After a few seconds, he looked up at her with a soft smile and a crinkle in his eyes. "Is that what you think? Is that what you're really worried about?"

Natalie timidly nodded her head.

"Okay, may I speak now? Can I say something?" he asked.

"Yes. Go ahead." She replied.

"Alright, Natalie…first…this idea that we could somehow go back to the way things were with you as my friend and assistant and I as your boss, just toss that away. You've wrecked that for me. Not even a possibility. Do you know what you do to me? My word, you come into a room and you light it up by your presence and my heart skips a beat. I can't believe you'd even want to be my friend much less date me. I still have to pinch myself when I think you're really mine. And it's not just that…it's a million little things you do that drive me crazy.

You know, when you come down the stairs in the morning with your hair still a little damp, and you're walking around in your robe without makeup and you're positively beautiful. I find myself checking you out, and I'm certain Julie has caught me several times, so I really must be careful because she's going to call me out on it someday and then we're going to end up having a very uncomfortable conversation.

But, then there's that way you bite your lip when you're thinking something mischievous or your crinkle your nose when you're tickled and the sparkle in your eyes when you flirt…Natalie, you're opening my eyes to what life was really supposed to be about and I can't wait to take the next step with you into our future. And darling…sweetheart…I'm not going away. A trainyard full of locomotives couldn't pull me away from you now – so it appears you're stuck with me. I love you. I love you with all of my heart and as I said, I just need for you to be patient with me. I need you to believe in me and that we will be together, because it's coming. I promise.

And as for Trudy, if she has anything to do with this at all, it isn't because I feel guilty being around you because of Trudy, because I don't. I'm quite certain that she's looking down and is very happy for us, and I'm happy for her where she is. She will always be a part of me, and I'll always love her, just as you will always love Mitch – but life is for the living and I'm ready to move on.

But still, the way I did things with Trudy is the way I want to do things with you. It was _years_ before Trudy and I ever came together in that way, and we waited until the right time…a very special time…and it was magical. I want to have that with _you,_ Natalie. I love you so much I feel like my heart is going to burst most days and don't ever…ever…ever think I don't want you….because I very…very…very…very…very…very….very...very...very much do." He said.

"That was only nine." She smiled.

"Huh?"

"Nine. Nine verys."

He stopped for a moment and thought. "Oh yeah. Very... much do. But _when_ it happens, and when I give you all of me that I have to give, it's going to be for a lifetime and there will be no turning back and I promise you it will be a night we will never forget. But we have to wait for it. We need to wait. Do you understand what I'm saying? That we need to wait?"

She smiled. "Yes. I think so." She paused. "We won't have to wait too long will we?"

"Huh?" he asked.

"You said you and Trudy waited _years_. We're not going to wait years are we?"

He laughed. "No. Not that long. Not years. I don't think even I could withstand that."

She smiled.

"I love you, you know." he said.

"And I love you." She replied.

He looked off to the side and then stood up and began to walk towards his room. "Stay right there a second."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just stay right there. I need to go get something." He replied, heading his room.

* * *

A few minutes later he came back into the room and sat back down on the couch. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out an oblong shaped leather box. It wasn't the original, because it had gotten so dinged up in the explosion that he had it replaced. But the contents were the same.

"Here. This is for you." He said.

Reaching forward her hand, she took the box from him and asked. "What? What is it?"

He looked down. "I bought it for you several months ago. Go ahead. Open it."

She opened the box and took out the watch, holding in in her hands and examining its beauty and its intricacies.

"Adrian. It's beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it."

"I…I love it!" she said, taking off her old watch and draping the new one over her wrist. He reached forward and helped her put it on.

"I designed it myself." He said, smiling proudly. "It is eighteen carat gold, not twenty-four since that would have been less durable, and it has ten diamonds of exquisite quality. It has a beveled glass…though I added that later, and it's engraved…from me to you with love."

She was touched. "But…why?"

He looked down. "Because I wanted to surprise you. Because I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you, how special you are to me. I didn't know at the time, or at least wouldn't admit to myself that it was because I really had these deeper feelings that were coming alive within me, but I knew I wanted to do something special for you…so when I saw you needed a watch, I decided to get you a watch."

"But this is extravagant. Why not just go out and …buy me a watch?" she asked.

He spoke softly. "Because. It had to be _special_. I wanted it to be a reflection of what I see in you. I wanted it to be _beautiful_ and _exquisite_ and _unique_. I wanted it to sparkle the way you do when you smile. I had them put in two blue stones to match your eyes. They are aquamarine. I also had them reinforce the wristband in such a way as to not detract from its beauty – so that it is both _strong_ and _graceful_ … just like you."

She looked up at him with misty eyes. "This is what you and Julie were out picking up when the explosion occurred, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes. It is."

"And you actually went back and retrieved it?" she asked.

"Leland and Randy helped. It wasn't easy to find, but we combed through the rubble for quite a bit to find it. I had to. It was for you. I wanted you to have it." He replied.

"Adrian Monk. You never cease to amaze me." She said, moving next to him and kissing him tenderly on the lips. "I love it. And…I love you more than you could even imagine."

"So, you're not mad?" he asked.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" she asked.

"Because of last night. Because I need to move out." He said.

"I'm not mad about last night. I confess I didn't understand, but now that we've talked, I do. It's not easy on me, you know, because I think about you in that way all the time too…"

He looked down and the dimples in his cheeks that drove her crazy began to appear.

"I do. Don't kid yourself. But, I understand where you're at and I get why you feel you have to go back to your apartment right now, though it does disappoint me. I love having you here." She said.

He looked up at her. "And I love being here. But, the only thing that will be different is I just won't be spending my nights here. We can still see each other every morning and go out on the field and have dinner together and watch movies together and date."

"And kiss?" she teased, with her arm draped over his shoulder.

He grinned. "Um… that would be affirmative. I don't think I can get that horse back into the stable now that it's free to run wild. Well…not too wild….not yet."

"Excellent. I was going to be mad if you said we couldn't do this." she replied, leaning in and wrapping her arms around his neck for a long and passionate kiss.

* * *

A day later, the two of them sat down with Julie to tell her of Adrian's decision to move out. They answered Julie's questions as honestly as they could, without revealing the actual reason he felt that he needed to leave. When it came down to it, Adrian loved the two women that inhabited the Teeger home more than he ever thought possible and if there was any way for him to stay, he would have done so without question. However, all it took was one look at Natalie and he was reminded all over again why he couldn't stay. He was doing the right thing for the both of them – actually, for all three of them. Julie was a good kid and she said she was happy that he was dating her mom, but surely she wouldn't have approved of the thoughts he had sometimes when he saw Natalie in the morning.

At first, Julie was worried that Adrian would go away – just like every other man that her mother had brought home to date (although sometimes it was Natalie who broke up with a man who was just not right for her and her daughter – enter Steven). But Monk assured her that he'd still be around for dinner and movie nights and would still help her with her calculus – plus, she could even visit him at his apartment. Both she and Natalie could visit him and it would be like old times, except of course, everything was different now. It took multiple assurances that the fact that Adrian was moving out didn't mean that there was something wrong with his and Natalie's relationship or that he didn't want to date her. Julie wasn't happy about the move, but eventually she accepted that he was just relocating, and it didn't mean he loved them any less. Nobody in the Teeger household was happy about Adrian moving in two weeks' time. But it was the way it had to be.

* * *

Knowing that Adrian was moving created an unexpected urgency in his and Natalie's interaction to enjoy every moment that they had together. They went everywhere together and sat for hours and talked and worked around the house. She was even able to get him to go with her to some places that he never would have gone before such as to her OB/GYN appointment. He waited out in the lobby and refused to look around, soldiering on in a manner that made her proud. If only she knew what sort of things were really going through his head in that office and how he would have rather bathed in milk than to be there. But, he did it just to be close to her.

If staying busy with one another was the name of the game during the daytime, it was also true at night. In spite of the earlier mishap, the couple still enjoyed snuggling together on the couch and watching movies with Julie; and, they still enjoyed sneaking in their nightly ritual after Julie had gone to bed – albeit now with a clear understanding of boundaries that they would not cross.

Of course, Julie was nobody's fool, and it only took a couple of instances for her to know what was going on. But she wouldn't let on because she again didn't want to embarrass them, and it was just too darn cute.

* * *

All of this changed one morning about a week before he was to leave. Natalie had been taking advantage of their time together to the degree that she and Adrian were spending every waking moment with one another to the exclusion of everyone else. One day Natalie noticed how sad Julie seemed, and after talking to her a bit Julie indicated that she was simply feeling sad because he was going away. It was then that she realized that Adrian's moving out was almost as hard on her daughter as it was on her, seeing that the two had truly bonded and Julie greatly enjoyed his company. So, Natalie decided to give them a little alone time and asked Julie to be the one to pick Adrian up at physical therapy that morning.

Julie was excited to spend some time with Monk before he left, so she left the house about a half hour earlier than he was to let out and made her way over to the rehab facility. After parking her car, she walked inside and went to the front desk to tell the attendant that she would be over in the corner studying some lessons and to let Adrian know she was there once he got out of therapy. She was surprised when the attendant let her know that Monk had cancelled his session with them that morning which made her wonder where he had gone.

Since Natalie had been the one to drop him off, she gambled that he was somewhere within walking distance and took off on foot looking for him. She knew of a coffee shop down the street adjacent to an outdoor shopping plaza which housed some of the finest fashion and goods that San Francisco featured. She wasn't quite sure why she thought of the coffee shop other than it was a place that her Mom said that she and T.K. would go to talk, and she thought maybe Monk might have gone there to relax in preparation for his move. She walked inside the shop and looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen, so she ordered herself a Chai Tea and walked back outside to continue her search.

Standing on the sidewalk, she looked to her left and about half a block down, she would swear that she saw him enter a store on the opposite side of the street. Quickly, she walked towards the store and crossed the street, almost getting hit by a passing cab along the way. As she approached the store, she immediately recognized where he had gone. _Why on earth would he be going to Tiffany's_? she thought to herself.

Tiffany & Co. was a place that she, Amy and Bethany liked to visit at least once a month. Usually, they would just window shop, but occasionally they would purchase something small like a chain or a charm for a bracelet. So, she knew the store quite well. As she approached the store, she considered what possible reason he would be visiting that particular store, and settled on the idea that he must be purchasing a gift for her mother before he left as sort of a thank you for housing him and taking care of him so many weeks. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw as she reached the store. Peeking into the window, she saw Adrian standing at a counter talking to a clerk. She immediately knew which counter it was because she and her friends always walked past the counter and fantasized about the contents in the display as they considered what they would want to be given when one day their prince arrived.

_Why is Adrian in Tiffany's looking at engagement rings?!_

Her hand covered her mouth and she watched through the window with excitement and she saw him point out a particular ring to the clerk who then retrieved it from the case and handed it to Monk. Adrian studied the ring, and even asked for the jeweler's loupe, but then handed it back to him, talking to him a bit more about whatever he wanted. The clerk listened then made a face as if he understood. Holding up one finger, the clerk smiled and led him to the slightly more expensive rings a couple of cases down. He reached into the case and pulled out a ring, and once again, Adrian examined it – only this time, Monk smiled.

Julie's heart was beating a mile a minute. _Oh my gosh! He's going to propose!_ She thought. But then she considered what would happen if he knew that she was out there, so she quickly made her way back to her car and waited for him to arrive back at the rehab facility so he could carry out his little ruse as if he had actually gone.

When at last he arrived back at the building, she waited about a minute as he stood outside looking for Natalie's car. Pulling up beside him, she smiled and rolled down the window.

"Hey, you heading to the Teeger house?" she said.

Monk was surprised to see her, but smiled as he walked to the passenger side door and got in. "As a matter of fact, I am. I'm surprised to see you. Everything okay with Natalie?"

"Yeah. Everything is just fine. She just asked me to swing down here and pick you up. I figured maybe you could buy me lunch for my trouble." She smirked.

Adrian smiled as he buckled his safety belt. "Ah…I see how that works. Sure. I would love to have lunch with you. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. How about this new funky Asian fusion place that just opened up on Geary?"

"Asian fusion? Would I like it?" he asked.

"Yeah. You'll be fine. Just follow my lead." She said, smiling.

"Alright…but I'm trusting you to not lead me wrong." He joked.

_You're going to be trusting me with a lot more than that._ She thought to herself.

* * *

Inside the restaurant, they had just gotten settled and had ordered some pot stickers and chicken on a stick as an appetizer. Monk was clearly out of his comfort zone in terms of food choices, and he hated to tell Julie that ever since his father left, that Asian food wasn't high on his list of favorites. But, it was some place she wanted to go so he acquiesced to her request.

Adrian looked around at the ambiance as Julie studied him intently. She was dying to know if he was doing what it looked like he was doing. But, she knew that she had to be subtle in her approach to ferreting out the information.

"So…was therapy good today?" she asked.

Monk swallowed and looked around. "Yeah. Therapy's good every week."

_You little liar, you didn't even go to therapy._ She thought.

"That's great. About how much longer do you think that you'll need to go?"

Monk looked over at her this time and answered. "Well, Dr. Werner said that I can probably ditch the cane early next week, so I think they are going to be dropping back my therapy to twice a month at that point."

"It'll be good to get that over. You've done very well." She replied.

He smiled. "It has been a lot of work, but I was highly motivated to get it done right."

"Highly motivated? What motivated you?" she asked.

He paused and smiled. "Yes. I think you know what motivated me. I wanted to date your mother, and I didn't want to do it if she was going to have to be my caretaker the whole time. So, I needed to get well as quickly as possible."

"I could see that. And you did." Julie stated. "And now, here you are dating, and things seem to be going well, right?"

Adrian narrowed his eyes. Something about the way she asked the last question and the way she looked asking it got his attention. This young lady had some sort of agenda. "Um…yes. Julie. Your mom and I…well, I love her and she loves me and we love to be with each other so you could say we're doing well."

"Yeah. It looks like you two are getting along VERY well." She replied.

"We are." He said nervously.

"Good. I'm glad. Because, it seems…you know, just to me…things are moving pretty fast in that direction."

"Direction?" he asked.

"Yeah, between you and my Mom. Things are quite…uh…physical." She said.

Adrian now became very nervous. "Physical?! Julie… your mother and I aren't…"

Julie rolled her eyes. "Oh…I know that Mr.… Adrian. I know that you're not…well, you know. But, you two constantly are holding hands and touching each other and I see you stealing little kisses throughout the day and….well, I guess I should go ahead and tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That you're not fooling anyone. I mean, it's not like I don't know that you're downstairs snogging my mother every night around eleven PM."

Monk was stunned. "JULIE!"

"What?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Juliette Elizabeth! I…I am NOT snogging your mother!" he indignantly replied.

Julie laughed. "Oh, Adrian Monk! Don't sit here and lie. You are too SO snogging Mom. And with gusto! Don't deny it. I've seen you!"

Monk looked like a fox surrounded by hounds, not knowing which way to turn.

"You…you've seen us? You couldn't have." He said, mortified. "No!"

"Yes. After I went to bed, I had to get up to use the bathroom, and well…I saw you…"

Monk sat silently, his mind racing to find some excuse to tell Natalie's daughter as to how what she thinks she saw wasn't really what she saw. But she gave him no relief.

"You have nothing to say for yourself?" she asked.

He said nothing, but his face said it all, having turned a solid crimson.

Julie laughed. "Adrian. Do you even know what snogging means?"

The look in his eyes clearly showed that he did not. "Well…"

She laughed again. "This is just delicious."

"Delicious?"

"No. Seriously. This is fun. I know now why Mom likes to tease you so much."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." He said, finally relaxing a little before she went in for the kill.

"Snogging is not something bad, Adrian. It just means you've been kissing, you know…making out…" she replied.

He looked at her a little uncertain, but then shook his head slowly. "Okay…if that's what that means, then…I guess…I'm guilty as charged." He smiled. "But I will say you shouldn't have been spying on me."

She paused. _The perfect opening_. "Spying on you? I wasn't spying on you. I just kinda stumbled onto it. Sorta like today." She said, taking a sip of green tea and waiting for him to ask.

There was a long pause and he looked over at her confused. "Today? What about today?"

"Oh…when I went to pick you up from therapy a little early and they said you had cancelled your appointment." She replied. Monk looked over at Julie and felt the blood drain from his face as she continued. "So then, I went looking for you…and you'll never guess where I saw you…"

Monk shut his eyes and threw back his head, placing his right hand over his face. He had been caught.

"Yep. Busted." She said. "You want to tell me what's really going on? Why did I come downtown expecting to pick you up for therapy and find you shopping for rings?"

This was not a conversation that Monk had prepared himself to have, but he knew that it was far too late to try to convince Julie that it was anything other than what it was. So, he took a deep breath and told her.

"Alright. I'll be honest with you, but you can't tell your mother."

Julie looked at him but didn't respond.

"Don't tell her. Promise me."

"Alright. I promise. I won't tell Mom."

"Okay. Well..it's like this. Julie. I love your mother and I want to marry her. I knew that even before we began dating. But, now that we're together…she is everything to me…she's all that I want…and I want to spend the rest of my life with her and make her happy and be her husband." He said.

Julie looked at him questioningly. "But you've only been going out for a little over a month."

"That's true. But, Julie, we've been best friends for years. We've been with each other daily, many hours every day, for many years. She knows me better than I think any other living human being…in some ways, even more than Leland, because she 'gets' me emotionally on a level that he doesn't. She's patient with me. She helps me. She makes my life so much better and she just makes my life complete. And…well, I think I know her pretty well as well. In some ways not as much as I probably should, because I could be pretty much a self-absorbed jerk. at times…but I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know those aspects of her. Exploring her mind. Finding out what makes her happy and…giving her all of those things…forever."

Julie was quiet, so he continued.

"Julie, here's the thing. I am not a young man. I don't have the luxury of waiting for a long period of time if I want to get this thing started. And I've seen firsthand what happens when you waste time or what happens when you no longer have the time to do things with someone you love and it's all gone, and I don't want that to happen. If you're worried that this is somehow sudden and not well thought out, don't. I've never been more sure of anything in all of my life. I'm going to ask Natalie to marry me, and I hope you approve."

Julie looked up at him. "You've never been more sure? Are you as sure of this as you were sure of Trudy?"

He paused and thought, then looked up at her with confidence. "Yes. I am. With Trudy, it was…different. I was a lot younger. She was my first love, and I thought would be my only love. I worshiped her. I couldn't believe that she wanted to be with me. And, well…I knew that I had to reach out and grab that chance and see if maybe she would be my wife. I had no confidence that she would say yes. I was just a naïve kid in my twenties who was dumb and in love. But she was my world.

Your mother…she's my world too. But, it's different. We started as friends and our friendship has developed into something so special, so real. It's hard to explain, but…I think I knew the first time we went out together, not dating, but on that case concerning those guys that broke into your house over the moon rock. We were at the museum together and she kept the germ guy from accosting me. From that point in time, I knew she was special. Of course, I was all about Trudy in those days and I denied any feelings I was having, insistent that I was a married man and any relationship that I had with Natalie had to be kept clinical or else it would be a betrayal to Trudy. But I know now, I was foolish. And, I wasted a lot of time, mourning that which I had lost and couldn't' get back all the while missing what was right before my eyes. I don't want to do that anymore. I want for us to be together…really together."

Julie teared up and smiled. "Then you have my approval."

Adrian's face visibly relaxed into a smile. "I do?"

"Yes. You do. You've been the only father I've known from my pre-teen years on, and I think it's natural that you become my stepfather for real. As long as you love her, I am more than happy to have you as a member of our family – officially, that is. You've always been that, unofficially."

"Thank you, Julie. I promise, I'll make her happy." he said.

"You already do, Adrian. You already do."


	40. The Snoggers and the Snitch

Moving day came faster than any in the Teeger household had imagined or were ready for. Monk had deliberately chosen a day to move where both Leland and Randy were off duty so he would have help in moving his personal items back to his apartment, including four suitcases full of clothing. The men were expected to arrive at Natalie's house in under thirty minutes so Adrian and Natalie took advantage of their last moments alone together, talking quietly on the front porch and occasionally kissing.

It had been harder than Natalie anticipated over the last few days to watch as Monk slowly started to gather his things together and pack what could be packed. But she was determined to keep it together, for his sake and for Julie's. He was moving out, not because either of them wanted him to, but to be true to his own values and because he thought it was what was best for their relationship. The last thing she wanted was to in any way make things harder for him, or for her. So, she would remain strong, no matter how much it was hurting her inside to watch as her home transformed back into a house. And, as she watched him pack, she was amazed at how much Adrian Monk had so transformed her life in the last five months that her home no longer felt like a home without him.

Leland and Randy arrived, and Natalie stayed strong as they soon started to follow Adrian's very specific instructions and his near-constant words of reproach to be careful with his things. She also stayed strong when Leland, dragging Randy behind him by the lapel, made himself scarce to give her and Adrian five minutes of alone time before the three men had to leave. Julie already said her tearful goodbyes to Monk that morning at breakfast and left the house with some students from the school theater group, Daniel, Josh and Melody. It was easier to do that than to watch him go. Of course, both Teeger women knew they'd see Adrian, at the latest, sometime the next evening, but it didn't make it easier now that the moment was here.

Very aware that Leland and Randy were standing at the end of the driveway, Natalie allowed herself only a brief moment for Adrian to hold her in his arms and a give her a quick kiss. He told her he loved her and said he'd call her whenever he got settled.

Leland's apologetic voice from a distance snapped Natalie out of her "Adrian and Natalie" trance. "Monk! It's time to go, buddy. Make sure you didn't forget anything and let's get going!"

Adrian pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and kissed her on the lips once more. "I promise, Natalie Jane, this isn't forever," he assured her. "It's just for now. I'll be back soon - when we're ready and the time is right. Until then, you'll still see me." His mouth tugged into a half-smile. "Besides, third time's a charm, isn't it? You owe me a date that ends without you crying."

Natalie laughed, squeezing his hand once more before he, at last without a cane, stepped off the front porch and walked down the driveway to Leland's car. She watched from the safety of the front porch from the time Adrian got into the car until she could no longer see it as it drove down the road and away from her house. She sniffled, wiped her nose with the back of her hand, and wiped her eyes. Then she gave a bittersweet smile. He may have vacated her premises, but he had not vacated her heart or their relationship. She knew what she had to do.

Adrian had made the decision to move out for the betterment of their relationship, and now it was her turn to do something to move their relationship forward. Not in a way that could damage their relationship like she had done when she tried to seduce him, but in a way that would make everything better.

She rushed inside her front door and reached for her purse, rummaging inside for her car keys. A moment later, she grabbed the pad of lined paper on the kitchen table and was out the door. If she hurried and used the right back roads, she would be able to make it in time.

* * *

At Monk's apartment, while Leland and Randy were outside removing items from Leland's trunk, Adrian went on ahead, slowly navigating the stairs for the first time in five months. He mentally went through a check list of things that needed to be done once he was inside. The landlord had turned the heat and the utilities back on and Natalie and Julie had restocked his refrigerator two days before. He recalled how he'd helped her to shop, and how they'd both instinctively headed down the dairy aisle at the store to get some milk for the house. Natalie had, not for the first time that day, gotten quiet when she realized that he wouldn't need or even want milk if he was on his own. He only tolerated it at her house for her and Julie's sake. As he remembered that day, he thought about how wonderful it had been to start his mornings out with those two lovely faces looking at him. To continue doing that, he'd stock the refrigerator full of the stuff if that was what would make them happy.

Monk pulled out his key and slowly opened the door, reaching for the light. It was only then that he realized that the light was already on, and he inwardly made a note to complain to the landlord about driving up his electric bill. He walked inside the apartment and down his front hallway, towards his bedroom, passing his living room door as he did. He had walked about three steps more when he stopped in his tracks and then backed up. Looking into the living room, he saw Natalie sitting on his leather couch with her shoes kicked off and her feet resting on his coffee table.

A broad grin appeared on his face and he tilted his head. "Didn't I just see you somewhere?"

She smiled and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling and dancing with laughter. "Did you forget I still have a key? Just figured you needed a welcoming party." Then she stood and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug and backing him up against the dining room door-frame. "Welcome home, my love," she whispered, kissing him tenderly.

Adrian smiled and kissed her back, then opened his mouth in order to ask her how on earth she had gotten there that quickly, since she had to have left her house _right after_ Leland's car turned the corner out of her driveway. But she shook her head, put her hand over his mouth, then pressed a folded-up piece of notebook paper into his hand.

"Read it," she told him urgently. "Read it, and then you can tell me whatever it is you wanted to tell me."

Leland and Randy were coming into the apartment and Randy did a comical double-take when he saw Natalie. Leland rolled his eyes, whether it was at Randy or at Natalie showing up Adrian couldn't tell, and he dragged Randy through the house into Monk's bedroom so he wouldn't be able to interrupt them. He then quietly walked past them, making his way into the living room and out of their line of sight.

Adrian tugged on Natalie's arm and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. He turned to face her, but she had already hopped up on the counter and sat there with a satisfied expression, almost as if she was daring him to tell her to get down. He only stepped closer to her and placed his hands on either side of her waist, leaning in to kiss her. He still didn't know what inspired her to drive like a madwoman to show up at his apartment, but the romantic and impulsive side of him that Natalie was slowly bringing out was sure glad that she did. He loved that he was able to see her for even a moment more.

Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and would have remained quite content to stay there kissing him, until her eyes wandered into the living room and she caught sight of what the police commander was doing.

"Leland Stottlemeyer?!" She turned back to her boyfriend and spoke to him quietly and gently. "Adrian, honey, did you tell Leland that he could..."

"Take down some of my Trudy pictures and move them to a safe place?" he interrupted her. She stared back at him wordlessly and nodded, her eyes every so often darting to the living room to keep an eye on what Leland was doing.

Adrian nodded and lowered his voice. "We talked yesterday, and I told him that was one of the first things I wanted to do today. He's the only person I trust besides you to help me with that. I'm not taking all of them down, but I am taking down a lot of them. You and Julie are going to be spending time here and I didn't..."

Natalie shook her head and was saying the word "no" over and over again before he could even finish the sentence.

"Adrian, honey." she told him, taking his face in her hands. "You know how I feel about you, but I do _not_ want you taking down your Trudy pictures because of me or because you think I'll have a problem with them if I come here. You've seen my house every day for five months. You've seen all the pictures of Mitch that I have."

Out of the corner of his eye Adrian saw how Leland pointed towards the bedroom when Randy stepped back into the living room and Randy glared but reluctantly went back to the room he was unpacking. Monk cringed, knowing the hours of re-organizing he would have to do later to fix whatever Randy ended up doing wrong, but then his attention went back to Natalie.

"You have three pictures of Mitch on your mantle. Your wedding picture, one of you and Mitch when Julie was only a baby, and a family picture of the three of you. I think that is appropriate. I should reduce my Trudy pictures to two or three."

Natalie looked at him for a long time and climbed down from the counter so she could hold him properly and kiss him properly, resting her head on his chest.

"Only if you want to," she told him softly. "You know I support whatever decision you make. But do it because you think it's the right time, not because of me."

Leland nodded towards the collection of framed photos he'd laid out on the couch. He wanted Monk to approve that those would be the ones transferred to Monk's bedroom until he put the pictures into albums. He then picked up the huge box marked **cleaning supplies **and headed towards Monk's bathroom.

Monk pleaded with Leland to pay attention to what he was doing and take this task seriously. "Please, Leland. For the love of mercy, _please_, be careful and put everything back _**exactly**_ where it goes."

Leland grunted. "Monk, shut up. I've been your friend for thirty years; I give you my word I can organize your bathroom to your standards."

Leland disappeared into Adrian's bathroom and Randy was in his bedroom doing he-didn't-even-want-to-know-what, but somehow all of that didn't matter. Right now Adrian was much more interested in the note Natalie was once again pushing into his hands.

He grinned, looking up at her with her crinkled nose and her half-giddy expression. If she could have opened the note for him no doubt she would have, he was sure, but she waited patiently for him to unfold it. He knew that he wanted to always keep her as happy as she looked right then so he wouldn't tell her that she had folded the note eleven times, not ten, and the corner edges didn't always meet where they were supposed to. It was the thought that counted, and he could teach her proper note-folding skills sometime later.

Natalie told Adrian that she had spent five minutes in her car outside Adrian's apartment trying to compose a letter that would adequately express her feelings at how much he meant to her. But then she had realized that she had all the time in the world to tell him that, so what she told him here in this note would remain simple.

_I, Natalie Teeger, hereby owe you, Adrian Monk, one (1) date of your choosing. _

_Movie, dinner, Julie's rehearsals for her play, even the rock museum, it's up to you. You're the boss ;)_

Adrian ducked his chin and then looked up at her, his eyes twinkling. "Natalie Jane Teeger, are you asking me out on a date?"

She bit her lip and smiled. "You might say that."

"And it's not even Sadie Hawkins Day. How daring!" He leaned forward and kissed her. "Hmmm…anywhere I'd like?"

"You're the boss."

"Well… Anywhere with you is fine with me. But, if I have to choose…I think a nice evening of dinner, followed by checking out Julie's play rehearsal sounds good. Especially if afterward…we might include, perhaps, a little snogging on your couch?" He raised his eyebrows at the barely-contained look of surprise on her face.

"Snogging? Where on earth did you learn that term?!" Natalie asked, laughing.

He dismissed the question with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Natalie, dear...we do it enough, I should know what it means."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "I repeat. Where did you learn that term?"

He grinned. She knew him too well. "Alright. You've got me. Let's just say, I heard it from a friend."

Natalie giggled, and rolled her eyes. She loved him but he didn't have many friends other than Leland and Randy and she knew neither of them would have taught him that word, if they themselves knew what it meant. "Fine. Don't tell me. But yes, our date must definitely must include some snogging. Wouldn't want to forget that."

* * *

**SIX WEEKS LATER**

Leland Stottlemeyer had only just settled into his over-sized chair in his SFPD office, ready to read through a case file from one of the many open cases they had working, when his work phone buzzed. It was his secretary, Viv Anne, reporting that Captain Randy Disher was there to see him.

Randy was no longer the fixture in Leland's office that he had been for years, simply due to the increased levels of responsibility for both of them as commander and captain, nevertheless, the two of them saw each other three or four times a week for case-related reasons. Leland leaned back in his chair and put down the file he had only just picked up, instructing Viv Anne to tell Randy to come in. His office door soon opened and Randy was at the head of his desk looking at Leland expectantly, much like he always had.

Leland took off his reading glasses. "What can I do for you, Randy?"

Randy sighed in frustration. "You can help us. It's the same double-homicide we were dealing with around a week ago up in North Beach. We have a suspicion that the manager did it, but, as you know, _suspicions_ about who did it and _proving it_ are two different things. We're not able to make much ground on this one, commander."

The commander frowned. "You and your guys have been working on this thing since then and still don't have meaningful clues? That's not good." He grinned, knowing his next suggestion would really get Randy's goat. "Has Monk seen the evidence?"

Randy rolled his eyes. "Monk? I wouldn't even know where to begin to start looking for him. He's been hard to find ever since he moved out of Natalie's."

"How hard can it be, Randy? He's not at his apartment?"

"Not when I checked this morning, but his mornings are usually booked. You, uh, you know he's finally going for his driver's license?"

"Heaven help us all," Leland muttered under his breath. "Did you check in with Dr. Bell? Or Natalie's?"

"Tried them both. Seems like he and Natalie are always out during regular hours."

"Have you tried calling him on his cell phone?" Leland asked.

"Monk has a cell phone?" Randy asked in surprise. "Since when? He barely knows how to use one."

"That's what he and Julie were supposed to be going shopping for when he put in the order for a watch, a cell phone. Natalie made him get one anyway." Leland reached for his wallet and fished out a piece of paper, handing it to Randy. "Give that back when you're done with it. Top number is Natalie's, bottom number is Monk's. More than likely he won't answer. Call hers and see if they can come to review what you've got so far."

Randy sighed, annoyed that once again, the commander knew something about Monk that he didn't. He didn't even know that Monk had a cell phone. He reached for the phone on Commander Stottlemeyer's desk and used it to dial Monk's number. Just as the commander had predicted, Monk's number went straight through to voicemail; so, he dialed Natalie's next. After a few rings, he heard a _hello_.

"Natalie? It's me, Randy, hi, I was wondering if - oh, T.K.?" He frowned and looked at the paper Leland handed him, touching each number with his finger to try and make sure he dialed the correct number. "Yes, sorry, no, Leland's fine," he said distractedly. Leland reached for the phone and Randy easily dodged him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I was trying to find Natalie to get her and Monk to come to the precinct to look at some evidence... What's that? They should be here already? All right, I'll look for them around here, thanks. And, yes, I'll have your husband call you. I'll be sure and tell him." Randy hung up the phone and looked at the commander. "Call your wife."

"I gathered that, thanks." He furrowed his brow. "They were at my house?"

"Something about Natalie wanting to drop off some jewelry T.K. let her borrow. She, uh, said that Monk and Natalie were going to drop Julie off down near the wharf and they were going to come straight here up to your office. She said they left your house an hour ago."

"They should be here by now if they left my house an hour ago," Leland mused. "Go check in the hallway and see if you can see them. Maybe check the parking lot too because…_you know_."

The look on Leland's face spoke volumes and Randy nodded and went to exit the commander's office. "Yes sir, I do know. I'll find them and bring them to you."

* * *

Twenty minutes passed and Randy still had not returned. Leland got tired of waiting and went out into the squad room to speak to his Chief Lieutenant about some things that he wanted him and Captain Disher to check out that afternoon. He had just finished detailing everything when Randy finally returned with their two friends in his wake. They were looking guilty. Randy pushed Monk and Natalie front and center in front of Leland. Neither one of them would make eye contact with the Commander.

Leland raised his eyebrows at Randy, who immediately took a step back. "I see you've found them. Where were they this time?" he asked.

"Evidence room, sir. They were in the evidence room."

Commander Stottlemeyer's thunderous voice boomed throughout the squad room to the extent that the other police officers averted their gaze and some of the braver ones even looked sympathetically at Monk and his assistant/girlfriend. "**MONK! TEEGER!** In my office, **NOW!**" Leland opened the main door to his office and told Viv Anne to hold all of his calls for the next hour. He motioned with his hand for the three friends to go forward and they scurried into his office, Leland shutting the door behind them.

Randy took his place off to the side and Adrian and Natalie stood at attention much like they were two Army recruits standing before their drill sergeant. Leland paced back and forth in front of them and looked furious.

"Monk, what in the name of Hades were you doing in the evidence room?"

Monk was interrupted by Leland before he even had a chance to answer for himself.

"Let me guess...the same thing you were doing in the _interrogation room_ three weeks ago and again last week? Or what you were doing in the _back stairwell_ last Friday, and who knows where else?"

"Behind the coat rack, sir," Randy offered, as Natalie and Monk's heads both snapped his way, clearly irritated with their friend. "I caught them in your office behind the coat rack, um…you know…last week," Randy said, looking back at Natalie who stuck her tongue out at him.

"The coat...did you say, _MY_ OFFICE?" Leland asked.

"Yes, sir." Randy was thankful he was not in the line of fire so he wouldn't get hit by…whatever the commander decided to throw.

Leland rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and took a breath for calmness, wishing his yo-yo wasn't all the way in his desk. He stepped closer to Monk to where they were standing mere inches apart, nose-to-nose. "Adrian Monk. You were one of the best cops I've ever known for almost two decades and you've been around this police station for almost a daily basis ever since. You know what goes on here and how important it is for you to maintain a professional atmosphere at all times when you work here and represent the police department. Don't you agree that professionalism is important?"

Monk looked down and mumbled something Leland couldn't hear. "Yes, sir," he said slowly.

"What was that, Detective Monk? Repeat what you said so I can hear it."

Adrian looked up and looked his longtime friend in the eyes. "Yes, sir, Commander Stottlemeyer, I agree."

Leland took a step back and ever-so-slightly relaxed. "Then please explain it to me why I keep having to warn the two of you about your _extra-curricular activities_ around this station? And please, please tell me why is it that I keep having to remind you that this is a police station, a place of serious business, and not the _Honeymoon Hotel_?"

The corner of Adrian's mouth curled just a fraction but he knew better than to say a word. Leland turned and walked towards Natalie.

"And you, Ms. Teeger…you've worked for this man how many years now? Five…six?"

"Seven, sir," Natalie mumbled. "Seven years and counting." Adrian smiled in her direction but immediately turned serious when Leland glanced over at him.

"Seven," Leland echoed. "Seven years and you've been of invaluable assistance. You really have, I'm not saying that to make Monk here happy. Which is why I am frankly a little surprised that I keep having to pull you aside and tell you that it is not appropriate for you to be _making out with your boss_ in the evidence room! If the Commissioner heard about any of this, do I have to tell you how long it would be until we were all looking for new jobs?"

Natalie lowered her eyes towards the floor and Adrian remained quiet, both choosing to take their chastisement like grown-ups until Leland was finished.

Leland stood in the middle and looked at both of them. "Well? Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" he asked.

Silence.

Leland blinked as he took a closer look at Monk. Ever since Randy had brought them into the squad room, he'd noticed Monk's attire and how his longtime friend seemed to be dressed differently than Leland was used to see Adrian Monk dress when he was on consultant-duty. He folded both arms in front of his chest and studied his friend and then, as Natalie and Randy watched with very different expressions, Leland Stottlemeyer walked to Adrian and tucked two fingers inside the collar of Monk's high-necked pullover sweater, enough to pull the sweater away from Monk's neck and reveal a prominent love bite. Leland released Monk's collar and raised his eyebrows at his best detective. Monk lowered his head and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment even as he grinned.

Randy snickered out loud as Leland's raised eyebrows turned in Natalie's direction. Wide-eyed, Natalie mirrored her boyfriend's actions and dropped her gaze to the floor, tugging up her own collar trying to hide what was underneath. She also refused to make eye contact with her longtime friend, the commander.

Leland made a face. This was one time he wished he hadn't seen the evidence that he was right. He took a step back and took a breath, purposefully using a kinder tone.

"Monk," he said. "Monk, look at me."

Adrian hesitantly looked up.

"Adrian," Leland said, quietly. "You're my friend. You've been my very best friend for thirty years. We've been through a lot together and we've seen a lot. And you know how happy I am for you that you and Natalie are together. It does my heart good to see you living again, buddy. It does. And you know good and well what I think about your abilities as a detective. You're the best I've ever worked with. All these things I've just said, Monk? They are the **only** reasons why I'm not **kicking you and Natalie to the curb** for insubordination and inappropriate conduct right this second. Are you hearing me?"

Adrian opened his mouth to speak. Leland held up his hand. "Monk, this is the fourth…"

"Fifth," Randy corrected.

"…fifth," Leland sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck again. "Fifth such incident in the last six weeks between the two of you and I have to tell you, if it happens again, if anyone catches you, it doesn't have to be me or Randy…friendship aside, I'm going to have to release you from your contract. I don't want to do that. I don't want to have to fire you, Monk. Do you understand?"

There was a long pause and Monk kept his eyes looking directly at the floor, but he understood. He wouldn't be the one to cause Leland to have to fire him. "Yes, sir," he whispered. "Yes, Commander."

"This is your last chance, buddy," Leland warned him, his tone extremely serious. "I mean it, Monk. This is your last chance. Did you hear that, Ms. Teeger?"

"Yes, sir," she muttered sullenly. Her voice was as quiet and as compliant as Monk's. "Thank you."

Leland sighed. Sometimes he hated being the one in charge of his friends, especially in times like this. He hated that he had complete authority over them and having Natalie and even Monk at times look at him like he betrayed them.

"Good. Please don't let it happen again. You're dismissed. Follow Randy to his office and he will get you up-to-date on the double homicide in North Beach. Maybe you can pick up something they haven't seen."

* * *

Leland returned to his chair and picked up the case folder, fully expecting to hear the opening and closing of his door as his three friends left his office. The sound never came.

Without so much as looking up, the irritation was clear in his tone as he spoke sharply to them. "Unless of course, you'd like to make it three-for-three so I'd get to speak to all of you about insubordination? Randy, I suggest you take them to your office and give Monk and Natalie updates on the double-homicide. We're at work, I would like to get at least _some_ work done. I'm sort of funny that way."

"Leland?" came Natalie's somewhat timid voice. "Permission to speak, sir?"

Leland turned in his chair and reluctantly set his case file down on his desk. "Natalie, I'm not a drill sergeant," he said, softening his tone. He saw Randy still standing in the doorway and Monk and Natalie standing off to the side near the doorway, both looking ashamed.

He surmised that Monk must have poked Natalie in the side or some such thing because Natalie was giving him some serious side eye. Leland did his best not to react.

"Commander Stottlemeyer," she continued. With formality, he noticed. "We're…I mean Adrian, um…Detective Monk and I, we're… we're sorry. We give you our word, it won't happen again."

"At least not where we can find you guys," Randy muttered under his breath. He turned towards Monk. "Seriously, Monk? The _evidence room_ is the most romantic place you can think of to take Natalie to make out? I have so much to teach you."

All three of the room's occupants watched as Leland Stottlemeyer opened the second drawer of his desk to retrieve his anger-management yo-yo and set it in the middle of his desk without saying a word. And all three of the room's occupants ceased talking immediately.

"Just so as long as we have an understanding, Ms. Teeger," he responded. If she wanted to be formal, he would do it too. For now.

"Yes sir," she nodded. "Yes, sir, we do. We're grateful that we're still allowed to work together." Leland had actually threatened to ban Natalie from the station as a result of the second incident and who had walked in on them, but not one of the friends took his threat seriously and Leland himself never planned to follow through. He simply wanted his best detective to be able to focus again. "We know we've been taking advantage of your friendship and your generosity and we won't abuse the privilege anymore."

Randy coughed. "Brown-noser."

"Tattle-tale," she instantly retorted.

"Hey! The _commander_ is the one who told me to look for you two! Believe you me, the _last_ thing I wanted to see was Monk pressing you up against a file cabinet with his hand on your butt!"

Natalie was incensed. "Randy!"

Monk hesitantly raised his hand, looking in Leland's direction. "Um. Leland, if I may interject…while it is true that Natalie and I _were_ in the evidence room...um...kissing…I, I can assure you that I didn't have my hand on her, um…on her - "

"Her butt," Randy supplied helpfully, sensing Monk's discomfort with the word. Monk narrowed his eyes and scowled at Randy.

"No. What I was going to say, Leland, was that my hand remained firmly on her waist and only her waist and went nowhere near her gluteal region."

Randy rolled his eyes. Monk was such a goody-goody sometimes, no wonder the commander liked and trusted him more. "Monk, I _saw_ you. Your _hand_ was on her _butt_. And, actually, you appeared to be _grabbing_ her butt. I must say I'm impressed."

Adrian turned all the way towards Randy. "That is a lie. My hand was on her _waist_, Randy!"

"Commander, believe you me, I've seen a few women in my day, and that's _not_ where their waists are!" he replied.

"Randy, don't tell tall tales," Natalie scolded him. "That isn't what happened and you know it."

"Monk, man, I didn't know you had it in you." Monk looked mortified at Randy's idea of encouragement and praise.

This time, it was Natalie's turn to look Randy directly in the eyes. "There's a lot of things you don't know about Adrian, Randy."

"Like about his ability to perform a mouth to mouth root canal? And oh, by the way, I was talking to Sharona about the conversation we had about how the two of you have been carrying on and she agrees with me."

Adrian didn't even have time to admonish Randy for his vulgarity about the mouth-to-mouth root canal reference, because he glanced quickly and saw that Natalie was looking at him quizzically with that look that meant he better start talking and fast. He turned his eyes towards Disher. "Why in heaven's name would you talk to Sharona about that?!"

"Because she's a nurse and she said I was right. You and Natalie need to have that talk before you do anything." Randy looked awfully proud of himself as he looked past Monk at Natalie. "Ask your boyfriend what I'm talking about. Better yet, I'll tell you. We were discussing how you and Monk need to talk about and think about contraceptives - unless you want kids. In which case, ignore me."

"Ignoring Randy...sounds like a fine idea," Leland muttered from behind his desk, but no one heard him.

"Leland!" Adrian pleaded, his face red with humiliation. "Help me, please?"

Natalie took a few steps and stood directly in front of her boyfriend of three months so he was forced to look at her. "No help from Leland or Randy. You were the one to say that you needed to move out of my house for, um, _reasons_, and now you're thinking about whether or not we are going to have kids?"

Adrian opened his mouth and no words came at first. He looked at Leland in desperation and back at Natalie. "I…I didn't say that. I didn't say anything about kids. Ask Leland, he'll tell you."

Natalie frowned. "So you don't want to have kids one day?"

"I, ah, I didn't say that either, sweetheart." For the third time he looked desperately at Leland. "Leland, for the love of Pete, will you say something to help me here?"

Leland chuckled in amusement. He never thought he'd see the day that a scene like this, Monk talking to his girlfriend about the possibility of future children, would ever be in the cards again for his friend. "You're on your own, buddy. Be a man and use your words."

Monk scowled at both Leland and at Randy, more so at Randy. "Now do you see what you've done?" He sighed, knowing Natalie wasn't going to let him get by without answering one way or the other so he closed his eyes and answered the best way he knew how. "I - I think that is something we should talk about just the two of us, in the privacy of one of our homes." He glared at Randy. "In other words, nowhere that 'Disher the fisher' is able to listen in on our conversation."

"Hey!" Randy exclaimed, offended. "I resent that!"

"Welcome to the club," Monk snapped, his voice softening when he looked at Natalie. "As - as you know, dear, there are some things that need to happen before we have that particular conversation."

Natalie smiled and her eyes softened. "I agree. But, just for the record and just so you know, I've always wanted to have another child. Julie always wanted siblings. Of course, that was before Mitch died, but…"

Adrian reached for her hand and squeezed. "Really?"

Randy chimed in before she could respond. "Well, you're well on your way there, based on what I saw in the evidence room."

"Randy, shut up," Natalie and Adrian both yelled.

"Just reporting the facts." Randy replied cheerfully.

"Those are not the facts!" Adrian insisted. "We weren't doing anything of the vulgar sort."

"They are too the facts!"

"RANDY!" Leland barked, finally having enough. "I don't care what you saw or what you thought you saw and I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!"

Randy was silent.

Leland sighed and ran his hand over his face. "T.K. wants us to have a conversation about whether or not we're going to have kids. Something about having Max full-time that made her want one. I've been putting off that talk but after today I'm going to tell her no and I'm not even going to feel bad about it. I seem to have five children already: Jared, Max, and the _**THREE OF YOU**_!"

For the second time the three friends fell silent. It was Leland that ultimately broke the silence, and his voice was much calmer. "And, Ms. Teeger, I accept your apology but I blame Monk more than I blame you. He knows we keep things professional here." He didn't see Natalie's wink at Adrian.

"Like, how you keep things professional with T.K. in this office when you think you won't be interrupted, kind of like that?" she wondered, amusement evident in her voice. "Randy told us what happened here last Monday."

"I did not!" Randy exclaimed.

"Did too!" Natalie replied.

"Did not!" he said.

"Well, how else did we know about it, Randy?" Monk countered. "How are you going to explain that one, since you're so busy telling everything else to everybody that you _think_ you know."

Leland muttered some choice words under his breath. "It's not even like they're teenagers that I can ground for a week at a time, it's like I'm dealing with three five-year-olds every day I come to work."

They watched, silently, as he picked up his yo-yo, unwound the string and looped it around his wrist, then tossed the yo-yo to the ground, expertly catching it when it came back to him. He repeated this action five more times before he spoke again, and when he did the tone of his voice was strong.

"This is MY office. I was working late, and most importantly, T.K. doesn't work here."

He sighed when Monk hesitantly raised his hand again, but this time, he did not ask him what he wanted. "Monk, T.K. is my wife, it's perfectly acceptable for us to be kissing in my office."

"Uh, sir, that's not what..." Randy instantly shut up under the heat of Stottlemeyer's glare.

Leland tossed his yo-yo as hard as he could and purposefully allowed it to hit the floor. "Keep going, Randy. If you want me to fire all three of you, I'm about five seconds away from doing so."

Just then, Leland's intercom buzzed in. He stabbed at the button with the first pencil he could find. "YES! How can I help you, Viv Anne?" he snapped.

_Um, sir. Just got a call from Central. Sounds like there has been a shooting down by Pier 41. Young man. Late teens. They are requesting that you come and take a look._

Leland Stottlemeyer instantly got serious and turned to the three equally-as-serious people in his office.

"You heard her, boys and girl. Playtime is over. Natalie, you and Monk go ahead and run out to the car and follow us. Randy, go grab your notebook and meet me back down by my car in three minutes."

* * *

Author's Note: This is the last official chapter of this story. There will be an epilogue which begins an entirely new story (coming early in 2020) posted later today as well. We would again like to thank our loyal readers for their faithfulness and feedback throughout this journey. Special thanks again to Alex Hoodle, Ljd21690, Dmander4483, Aloysia Pison, Monkish, magggsm, VL, and guest (s) for your valued feedback along the way. We hope you'll follow our stories in the future and look forward to hearing from you soon in 2020 as we see what other things await our dashing Detective and his lovely lady.


	41. EPILOGUE

Adrian and Natalie quickly walked out of the police station and went to retrieve her car. As the two moved closer to the parking lot, Monk began talking to her and walking backwards with a smile on his face, asking his girlfriend if he could drive. Despite how cute and excited he looked, Natalie's answer was a resolute **no**. A dejected Adrian then turned around and sulked his way to her car, sliding into the passenger's side seat of her silver SUV.

They arrived a short time later at Pier 41, an area in the northeast corner of San Francisco's Central District near Fisherman's Wharf. The area had been cordoned off, and emergency personnel swarmed all over the site. Natalie wasn't sure that she'd ever get used to going to murder scenes, even after working side-by-side with Adrian and the SFPD for so long. It broke her heart to see what the victims and their families had to go through.

Leland led the way onto the pier and he and Randy stepped forward to speak to another police captain. Adrian and Natalie followed, but when she took a step backwards to stand behind Monk in deference to his consultant position, he tugged on her hand and brought her back to his side. She belonged beside him, not behind him.

Adrian continued to hold Natalie's hand, out of view of the other officers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Leland and Randy treated Natalie with respect and recognized her contributions to their small team, but it wasn't that way in other jurisdictions. She often went unacknowledged and ignored. But at least he could show his support and show her that he appreciated her being there and everything that she did.

"Commander Stottlemeyer, Captain Disher. Glad you could make it on such short notice," said Captain Jeff Lewis of the San Francisco Port Patrol. He nodded towards Adrian and Natalie. "And you must be the famous Adrian Monk. I've heard many good things about you." Monk merely nodded.

Stottlemeyer got down to business and addressed the other officer. "Lewis. What have we got here?"

"Body was found down there. Young man, a couple of bullet holes in his chest. He'd been shot," Lewis said, nodding toward the end of the pier.

Leland blinked several times, unsure of what to say to the captain's evident deduction. "Clearly," he responded, shaking his head. "Do we have an I.D.?"

"Yes, sir. His wallet was found inside his hip pocket and we've identified the victim as Joshua Landrum, nineteen years old, lives over on Chestnut Street but was working with the theater group here near the Wharf. His I.D. is a college student I.D. from Berkeley, so we are assuming he went to school there."

The sarcastic comment of _Good assumption_ _Captain Obvious _was on the tip of Leland's tongue, but he bit back the retort.

Natalie dragged Adrian a few steps backward. "Adrian, Josh Landrum went to school with Julie! He was the male lead in her play, remember?"

Lewis overheard her conversation. "Yes ma'am. We've been able to conclude so far that the deceased was involved with the theater program at Berkeley, which fits, because our suspect is a member of that same group. There was a witness that saw the woman leaning over the victim's body. She allegedly dropped the weapon and then when she saw the witness, she ran from the scene."

Stottlemeyer asked Randy to get out his notebook and write everything down. Call it instinct or intuition, he already didn't trust this Lewis character or his police force.

"There was a witness?" Leland asked.

"Yes, sir. His name is Desmond Shanks and he works the trolley. We finished interviewing him a few minutes before you arrived. He's been advised not to leave the city in case we need to ask more questions," Lewis said.

He pulled his notebook from his back pocket to make sure he told the Commander everything. "Witness stated that he had clocked in for his two o'clock shift when he heard a scream. He ran to the pier and from about forty feet away he saw a woman standing over the victim, holding a gun. The woman was described as in her twenties and close to five feet seven inches tall. She was wearing a yellow dress, looked from the 1940s or 50s. He immediately ran back to where he clocked in and called 911."

"Dressed in vintage clothing? That ought to distinguish her," Randy muttered. "What time was the call made?"

Lewis flipped to another page in his notebook. "Shanks' time-card showed that he clocked in to work at exactly two o'clock and dispatch received his call three minutes later. At that time, he returned to see if the suspect was still there, and according to his testimony, the suspect looked up and saw him and took off running towards the west. We caught up with her three blocks away covered in blood. We won't know until it is tested, of course, but we're sure it will come back as a positive match for the victim's blood. Suspect was hysterical. She's being questioned now by the Port Patrol in that boat down there while we're waiting on forensics. We've already tested her hands for powder residue and the test came back positive. Our suspect is the one that fired the weapon. We're just waiting on the fingerprint match."

Adrian raised his hand. Commander Stottlemeyer knew what Monk was thinking, what they were all thinking. "Take us to the scene so we can look around."

"Yes, sir." Lewis led the way down the pier. Leland walked at his side and the three others followed behind. They arrived at the crime scene and saw the deceased laying on his side. It was obvious that he had indeed been shot more than once in the chest at close range. There was a coroner standing about waiting to be given the okay to transport the body to the morgue.

Leland shook his head and immediately pointed to where there were clear footprint tracks stamped in blood on the ground. Several footprints were likely made by the feet of emergency personnel at the scene. "There are footprints all over this crime scene, including some near the body. Look over there! Why was this scene not properly secured?"

Lewis swallowed, aware of Stottlemeyer's notorious temper. "It was secured, sir, and forensics was here and took the pictures and got the evidence we needed. The tape was taken down a little later without my knowledge. Wilson's just a rookie, you know how rookies are. They get overexcited."

"Mr. Lewis, as captain YOU are the one responsible for making sure that a crime scene remains secure, especially when the body is still here, and you are responsible for the behavior of your officers. You should be well aware of your duties. Thanks to your negligence this crime scene may already be compromised. I hope for your sake that isn't the case or else we could be looking at a lawsuit - that is, if your suspect doesn't find herself a halfway decent lawyer and get herself acquitted thanks to what you've allowed to happen."

"Understood, Commander. I take responsibility for my men and it won't happen again. But, I'm confident in my guys that they got everything that we need."

"Not everything," Monk interjected, crouching down besides the victim's body and using his handkerchief to carefully lift the victim's wrist. Underneath that small patch of ground was a torn fragment of blue plastic sheeting. Leland merely glanced at Lewis and Randy stepped closer as Monk used tweezers to pick up the missed evidence.

"Huh," Lewis said after a moment of silence. "Don't know how we missed that. What is it?"

Adrian looked up at the captain. "Looks like some sort of polyester sheeting. It's pretty scuffed up and there is a ridge right here, do you see?"

Lewis leaned down and looked at the fragment, then Randy peered closer at the sheeting and half-smiled at Monk. Monk was the best in the city. Having Monk as a consultant on their force made every one of them - him, Leland, the other detectives - better. "You mean, like someone was walking on it?" Randy said. "Looks like the tip of someone's shoe."

Adrian nodded and allowed Randy to help him to stand so he wouldn't have to touch the dirt. "Exactly, Captain Disher." He nodded towards Lewis. "Captain, please have your team bag this and place it into evidence."

Leland waited until Monk was standing and stable. "Do you mind if we have a few words with this suspect of yours, Captain Lewis?"

"Of course not, Commander," he immediately responded. "Your team is invited as well. Follow me."

The team arrived at the boat and Lewis went below deck, returning a few minutes later with Eric Holman, a career veteran for the Port Patrol. Holman came forward and extended his hand for Commander Stottlemeyer and thanked him for coming.

The officers spoke for a few moments and Holman and Lewis briefed Leland on what evidence they found and what they learned from the suspect thus far. The suspect, Holman told Stottlemeyer, proclaimed her innocence as they all did at first and now had stopped talking, demanding to see her mother and a lawyer.

"She's lawyering up so soon?" the Commander mumbled under his breath. "That's not a good sign."

"Our thoughts exactly," Holman said. Lewis nodded his head in agreement. "Commander, I'm happy to see you on our lowly little patrol, but it looks like we wasted your valuable time. This case is an open-and-shut, slam-dunk, home-run-bases-loaded-in-the-bottom-of-the-ninth case. The victim's blood was found on the suspect and we are pretty sure that once the gun is tested it will show the suspect's fingerprints. We've got forensics on that right now. The victim and the suspect were known associates at school, verified by the suspect. Phone records will also prove that they were in contact on a regular basis. We aren't sure, she won't tell us, but we are pretty sure she was romantically involved with our victim."

"Why would you assume that?" Randy asked.

"Found a note in the victim's pocket. Looks like he was about to break up with her," Lewis replied, reaching over to an assistant for an evidence bag containing a note.

_Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you, but like I told you when we talked before, I can't see you when I'm in love with someone else. I hope we can still be friends or at the least, work together at the theater - Josh_

"Jealous rage is what I'm thinking, Commander. At this age, almost anything could have set her off. We're looking into the possibility that the deceased might have had another girlfriend besides the suspect."

In spite of the appearance that this was an open-and-shut case Leland had a nagging feeling that told him not to trust Holman and Lewis, Lewis especially, and not to merely take them at their word. He followed them below deck, motioning for Randy to follow behind. Natalie and Monk followed Randy.

Holman opened the door to a room on the right at the far end of the corridor. The room was small, not unusual for a stateroom on a boat. Two police officers flanked the door and stood at attention, their backs against the wall. Another officer was standing in front of the suspect. All anyone could see of the suspect was the skirt of a blood-soaked yellow dress and hands fidgeting with a tissue, twisting it around her fingers. Leland nodded to the questioning officer but froze when the officer stepped backwards and he got a clear view of the bloodied and dirty teen. The witness had been wrong when he claimed the suspect was somewhere in her twenties. She wasn't. She was a teenager - eighteen, to be precise. And the only reason Leland Stottlemeyer knew the suspect's age as well as he knew his own name was because he knew this suspect. So did Randy. Both of them were dumbstruck.

Monk and Natalie soon walked into the room and Natalie's astonished gasp was all they heard. "**_Julie?!_**"

Julie Teeger immediately looked up and pushed back her chair, running frantically into her mother's arms, sobbing.

The two officers that stood guard immediately drew their weapons and pointed them toward Julie. "FREEZE! BACK IN YOUR SEAT NOW! STEP AWAY AND SIT BACK DOWN!"

Stottlemeyer commanded the two officers to stand down, unless they wanted him to take their badges, and Monk immediately stepped in front of both Teeger women with Randy joining him at his side. Leland demanded an explanation for what he had just witnessed and Holman explained to the commander and his team that Julie was the suspect in question.

Lewis walked towards a furious Commander Stottlemeyer. "Sir, like we've explained to you, this woman was found three blocks away from the murder scene and as you can clearly see, she is covered in blood. We both know the blood-type analysis will show that it is a match to Joshua Landrum, our victim. She's got powder residue on her hands and she matches our height-weight description of the assailant that the witness saw. Your team is more than welcome to speak with him at your convenience. What she's wearing matches what we were told. She's the right one, sir."

Leland was silent as he digested all that he had just heard. Julie clung tightly to Natalie, sobbing. "_Mom, I didn't do it! Tell them I didn't do it!_"

Monk spoke sharply to Lewis and Holman. "Gentlemen, you are clearly mistaken and the evidence you say you have is wrong. Julie Teeger is not a murderer. She's very gentle, she could never hurt anyone."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and another officer entered, bringing with him an evidence bag that contained the murder weapon, and also a note, to Holman. Holman nodded at the officer and read the note, then handed it to Commander Stottlemeyer. Leland motioned for Randy to come stand beside him. Monk had no intention of leaving Natalie or Julie's side and they wouldn't ask him to. Stottlemeyer and Disher both read what the note said and Randy looked at the floor. Leland rubbed his face with his hand and couldn't look Monk in the eye at that moment.

Holman took over. "You are wrong, Mr. Monk. This is the official report from the forensics lab that shows a complete match for the fingerprints of Julie Teeger to the fingerprints found on what is likely the murder weapon." He handed the evidence bag to Lewis and reached inside his pocket for his notebook and began to read the Miranda Rights. "Juliette Elizabeth Teeger, you are under arrest for the murder of Joshua Landrum. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"

One of the officers forcibly removed Julie from Natalie's arms and forced her hands behind her back to handcuff her. Natalie buried her face in Adrian's shoulder and cried.

"**MOM**!" Julie cried as the officers pulled her further and further away from her mother and Adrian. "Mommy! Adrian! Don't let them take me, you know I didn't do it!"

Natalie lifted her head from Adrian's shoulder, her face stained with tears and fresh tears streaming down her face the more Julie screamed for her to help her. "Leland! Please…do something!"

"Holman, can't you get that kid to calm down?" snapped an irritated Lewis. Julie was struggling desperately against the officers' strong grasp and the more she struggled, the more the handcuffs tightened against her skin. Monk stared at Leland pleading with him to intervene. Leland stepped forward, closer to Julie.

"Officers, out of respect for me, I ask you to take your hands off of the suspect and release her from the handcuffs. She's frightened and you're making it worse. Please. We will take her in, Captain Disher and myself. You have my personal pledge that she won't escape. We'll bring her to headquarters and she will be questioned properly."

Lewis and Holman both shook their heads. "Our jurisdiction, Commander."

"I have no problem pulling rank on both of you," Commander Stottlemeyer said tersely, his patience already gone.

Holman and Lewis looked at Stottlemeyer in disgust but bit their tongues in consideration for their jobs and motioned for their police officers to release Julie from her restraints. They told the commander it was his job on the line and they would file a formal complaint if anything funny happened and the suspect was not at headquarters within the hour, then they left the room.

Natalie immediately hugged Julie as soon as she was free from her handcuffs, but Leland took a step forward and Natalie panicked, looking at her boyfriend helplessly. "Take her in? Adrian, why does he have to take her in?!"

Adrian hesitated. Natalie was smart and she'd been around the police world long enough, she knew what needed to be done. Monk saw how the circumstantial case was strong enough and damning enough to hold Julie for further questioning and perhaps even an overnight stay in jail while the officers decided what charges they would press.

"Natalie, sweetheart, it's standard protocol. I'm sure it won't take long for them to realize that they jumped to the wrong conclusion and have the wrong guy, or girl. It's all going to be okay, I promise." He said it as much for Natalie as he did for Julie. "Julie, it's okay. Leland and Randy will take care of you. It's okay. You can trust them."

"You can't let them take Julie to jail!" Natalie cried.

Leland took another hesitant step forward and reached for Julie. Natalie instinctively stood in front of Julie, protecting the teenager from his hands.

"Natalie, don't make me do this," he muttered, and Natalie glared at him but took a step back and nodded that it was okay for Julie to go with him.

Stottlemeyer tried to explain. "Natalie, we have to take her. You heard the officers. Look at your daughter. Julie's covered in blood and you and Monk told us she knows Josh from the play. Her fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and there's a witness who said he saw her running from the scene of the crime."

"He doesn't believe me either, mom!" Julie sobbed. "Mom! Commander Stottlemeyer is your friend and Adrian's friend, why doesn't he believe me?!"

Natalie blinked back angry tears. "Leland, YOU KNOW HER! You know she didn't do this! You know it's all a mistake! You saw how they messed up the crime scene out there!"

Leland sighed. How had all of this gotten so messed up so fast? "Natalie, I'm sorry. Really, I am. But you know that we must take her in. Julie would be in so much more trouble if we didn't."

Adrian immediately stepped in front of Natalie and stood eye-to-eye with Leland. "I'm going with you. I won't let Julie be alone."

"She won't be alone, Monk, she'll be with us," Randy said quietly. "You know we'll take care of her."

Natalie grabbed for Adrian's hand. "I'm coming too. Don't mess with me, Leland."

"Natalie, Monk is a city employee. You're the suspect's mother," Leland said quietly. "You can't - "

"Would you stop calling her that?!" Natalie screamed in frustration, screaming in Leland's face and grabbing his shirt sleeve. "She's not a suspect. She's **_Julie_**. You know her! You've known her since she was eleven years old! She didn't kill anyone!"

Leland looked at his friend and mouthed that he was sorry, hoping that Monk would understand and not hold this against him, and that Monk would be able to explain it to Natalie. Sighing, the commander took a step back and took Natalie's hands off his shirt.

"Natalie, please don't make this harder for us. Randy and I will take care of her and I will call you personally and explain everything just as soon as I can. You have to trust me. You have to trust me to take care of Julie." Natalie was quickly becoming hysterical and Leland didn't blame her. This was a catastrophic mistake. Leland nodded to Randy and they walked with Julie towards the stairs.

Adrian immediately went to Natalie and took her in his arms. "They'll take care of her and I'll be with her for as long as I can be. I'll make sure Julie knows not to tell whoever interviews her anything until we get her a good lawyer. I don't think they'll let Leland and Randy question her. But sweetheart, I promise you that we'll get Julie out and she'll be back home soon."

He kissed Natalie on the forehead and then on the mouth, moving his arm to her waist and leading her slowly up the stairs and out of the boat to the dock, the pier, and finally to Leland's squad car. Randy was never far from Julie's side and Leland was on his cell phone.

"You're where?" Natalie heard Leland saying to whoever he was talking to. "Five minutes away, great, thank you, honey. Please get here as soon as you can. I love you. See you in a few minutes."

Leland hung up the phone and walked closer to where Monk and Natalie were huddled together, Monk's arm around Natalie protectively. "Natalie, I called T.K. to come get you and drive you home. I'm sorry that I have to - "

Natalie folded her arms across her chest and turned away from her longtime friend.

"...well, I'm just sorry," he finished, knowing it was inadequate but it was all he had. "I hope you'll be able to forgive me."

Natalie walked away, towards Julie and Randy. Adrian walked up to Leland and looked him directly in the eyes. "I will explain it all again to Natalie. I don't like it that you're doing this, but I understand why and so does she. She does, she's just - frightened. But Leland, you and I both know Julie is not the guy. They made a mistake."

Leland struggled to come up with an answer. The evidence the police officers had against Julie was so much and so great, but if anyone knew about evidence that looked to be one thing but was in fact another thing, it was Monk. "If Julie is innocent, buddy..."

"Leland! No ifs! You **_KNOW_** she's not the guy, and you are going to help us exonerate her of this crime, aren't you?"

Leland took a frustrated breath and looked at his best and oldest friend. "Monk. I'll do everything in my power that I can do without compromising the case."

T.K. arrived soon thereafter and right away ran to Natalie, putting her arms around her as they watched Leland gently instructing Julie to follow him and get in the back of his squad car. Monk followed at a close distance and immediately slid into the backseat beside Julie and Natalie watched through the window at the back of the car as he bent his head down to talk to Julie quietly. Adrian put his arm around Julie and Randy frowned at the personal and not-at-all-professional interaction, and shut the door. He got into the front passenger seat and Leland Stottlemeyer drove away, taking Julie with him.

Natalie burst into tears all over again as soon as the car left and she and T.K. were alone, pressing her face into T.K.'s shoulder. T.K. rubbed her back sympathetically, knowing there was nothing she could say that would make this better. "I know my husband, Natalie," she assured her friend. "He and Randy and Adrian will fix this and clear Julie's name. She'll be home with you soon, sweetie. You just have to have faith."


End file.
